Contractual Obligations
by nightkitty555
Summary: Being the first female Weasley in several generations had made her feel special, until it came out that that came with a major, life changing flaw… a long-unfulfilled marriage contract with a son of the Malfoy line. Keywords: Marriage Contract
1. Womanhood

Contractual Obligations

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and will never make any money off it. I just hope some people like my writing. I don't plan on putting on of these on every chapter.

Chapter 1- Womanhood

Ginny watched her brothers playing quidditch out of the kitchen window, highly annoyed that she couldn't join them herself. This was partially because the boys still weren't convinced that she could fly and would never let her touch one of their brooms (though she would just "borrow" them at night). The other reason she was stuck was that she had been forced into helping her mother clean up after breakfast, which was yet another injustice. Sure, the boys had to help sometimes, but she was always stuck with more house work than the others. It was sexist oppression plain and simple, stopping her from flying with the wind in her hair.

There were sometimes advantages being the baby of the family and the only girl, but house work was one of the worst of the downsides.

There were always children around the Weasley household when she was small, even besides her brothers. On the Weasley side, had a few first cousins and tons of second cousins, and they would sometimes get together during the summers, particularly when they were younger. Most of them wouldn't let her play though, because she was the girl. Bill and Charlie would shut them up, but her oldest brothers weren't always around. There weren't any other girls born into the Weasley family, only the wives that married in, and they all wanted her to sit still and talk with them, such a boring endeavor. There hadn't been any other Weasley girls born in several generations actually, which she usually liked. She wouldn't admit it, but it made her feel special. And she could easily keep up with the boys, no matter what they said.

She didn't really have any cousins at all on the Prewett side, because her two uncles had died so young, and if she had any second cousins, she had never met them.

"Can I go mum?" Ginny begged, when the kitchen looked more or less clean. Molly Weasley was usually only this particular about cleanliness when Harry or other company was over, but this summer was different. Their parents had said the night before that soon they would all be staying somewhere else for the rest of the summer.

So, her mother was just nervously cleaning for no real reason, because everything would just be dustier whenever they came back. Not much else was said, but it was clear that safety was the major concern. Her mother had been finding more and more reasons to keep her children, especially Ginny, inside the house. As if being inside the house would safer than the yard if Death Eaters did decide to come.

Ginny knew that Bill and one of his curse breaking friends had set up pretty good wards for them, and around the whole property, not just the house. Their make-shift quidditch pitch was probably just as safe as the house. But wherever they were staying, Hermione was coming too, which was a relief. Harry would probably be there later in the summer. It would be nice to have Hermione to talk to, even if she would talk about school work too much.

*****Ginny, August 11th, 1995, Number 12 Grimmauld Place*****

Ginny's birthday hadn't felt different than any other day in years. When Ginny was turning eleven, she had asked her mum for them not to celebrate her birthday while Harry was around. She said that she was embarrassed that they didn't have real money, and that had made her parents drop the issue after the one big row about it. They seemed to think that not celebrating her birthday with friends (though she didn't really have any friends other than sometimes Luna back then) was a fitting punishment for the indignity of being ashamed of her family.

Really though, she just hadn't wanted to be the center of attention when Harry was around because she couldn't even manage to make herself talk to him. And Harry had been around for every birthday she had had since. Her parents and sometimes her older brothers gave her presents, but nothing else was really done. After the second year, Ginny's parents even stopped asking. Though Ginny had known months ago that she wouldn't really care what Harry thought this year, she also hadn't cared enough to make a change.

To think that she had spent so many years, practically all of her childhood so infatuated with Harry Potter, or at least the Boy Who Lived. Harry was nice enough when he wasn't doing the moody yelling bit, and there was something undeniably attractive about the whole Savior-of-the-Wizarding- World thing. But he just didn't make her heart beat faster anymore when they were together, not even in the slightest. Maybe it was that she had gotten to know him as a person, and discovered that she had only liked a childish imagination of the little boy that had stopped the villain of her nightmares. It had only made her crush more complete when he had saved her from the waking hell of her first year.

But she was older, stronger now. Being obsessed with the Boy Who Lived wouldn't have been fair to either of them if Harry ever did notice her.

There were other boys around, she supposed. Neville was sweet, inviting her to the Yule Ball. Michael Corner was cute enough. They'd danced at the ball as well, and been to Hogsmeade a few times since. They had "parted ways" at the end of the year. He said some arse line about enjoying their time together and planning to pick back up together in the fall. He wanted to take a break so that he could snog whomever he liked over the summer, even get some girl to sleep with him if he could manage.

The Ginny of years ago would have just nodded and taken back up with him the next term, glad that someone was paying attention to her. But she was a strong woman now, like Gwenog Jones, and she didn't need any childish boy by her side. She would be just fine on her own. And maybe, when she was a few years older, she'd find a real man, not a stupid boy.

When she looked around the large room, she saw that Hermione must have already left for the morning, but a glance at the clock in the corner told her that the boys wouldn't be up for an hour if she was lucky.

Her mother's smile was brighter when Ginny came down the stairs than she had seen on her mother's face all summer. "There's my girl," her mother said. "Well, I can't really call you a little girl anymore now, can I? It's the day of your womanhood. It was a big to do even in my day. Not that our family holds to such things, of course," she laughed. "My first grandchildren had better not come from you, my little woman," she said in a way that Ginny thought her mother was only half joking.

"Mum, I'm just turning fourteen. And I've been a _woman_ since I was eleven, and see, no grandchildren for you yet. I don't know why this would change anything."

"Don't take that tone with me, Ginny. Sit down and enjoy your breakfast. We have a few little somethings tucked away for you too," her mother said with a smile, busying herself making more piles of food, enough to feed the whole Order, though Ginny was fairly certain that they wouldn't all be stopping by for her fourteenth birthday.

Crashing sounds in the hall announced the arrival of Tonks, Ginny's favourite member of the Order outside of her own family. She had known Tonks vaguely for years because the older girl had been friends with Bill and Charlie when they were all at Hogwarts. Ginny would be sorely disappointed if one of her oldest brothers didn't come to their senses and pursue the witch. If Tonks would put up with one of them, she would be the best sister.

The bright-haired witch- blue today- was solemn, which was strange. She locked eyes with Ginny as her mother quieted the portrait in the hallway. The whole house would be awake and grumpy soon. Hermione poked her head out of the library door and entered the room, giving quick greeting the Tonks. Ginny knew that something serious was going on.

Strangely, Tonks carried a large, angry looking owl perched on her arm. A Ministry owl with Ministry parchment clutched in its beak. "Molly. There's a letter for Ginny. From the Department of Records. I've tried to check it- sorry Ginny- but it's spelled and the bird is mean," she said, holding up hands covered in burns and scratches. "Typical ministry dispelling wasn't effective either, though Bill could possibly do something with it if he were around," Tonks said, looking around as if Bill would appear. He might be around for Ginny's birthday dinner, but maybe not.

"Well, we'll just have to ignore the thing. I can't imagine anything that the Department of Records might wish with with Ginny. Arthur!" Ginny's mother called. "Arthur!"

"It does seem irregular," Hermione murmured, but Ginny only had eyes and ears for Tonks.

"I have a contact in the Department," Tonks continued, "So I did some poking around. He said he was vow bound not to say anything about the contents, but he could say that he knows it's legitimate and that only Ginny could open it, and it wouldn't hurt her. I can confirm that it is really from the Ministry myself. We learn the magical signatures as part of Auror training."

There were more protests from her mother and growing background noises from the rest of the household. Ginny heard the portrait of Sirius's mother start its screaming again, but she stepped forward, almost compelled to do so, and reached for the scroll. The owl released it willingly, and Ginny noticed nothing but a faint warmth from the parchment. It was... comforting magic if anything, and Tonks had said that it was okay. Ginny looked past her wariness of anything magical with writing after her first year, and opened the scroll.

The language was flowery but a word jumped out at her quickly, demanding to be acknowledged. 'Marriage.' Marriage. Marriage Contract. She began skimming faster, looking for key word. Only one thing really mattered on a document like that. She barely acknowledged terrifying words like 'Purity, fidelity, and everlasting union.' There was only one thing that she was looking for, and she thought her throat would close up when she found it. 'Son of the Malfoy line,' the scroll read. She didn't read any further, though that was still only the top of the parchment. She dropped the document on the floor, because she didn't want to touch it anymore.

Her mother managed to pick up the damned scroll that seemed to have lost its magical bite. Ginny actually wished that no one else could still touch it and regretted dropping it as her mother cautiously picked it up.

Ginny should have thrown it away, burned it, and pretended it didn't exist before anyone else read it. Her mother held the parchment, hands shaking for only moments before positively screaming for Ginny's father to join them. "ARTHUR!"

Ginny dimly noted that she could smell food over-cooking, breakfast clearly forgotten. She barely noticed any of the voices around her as she sat down again and attempted to eat her eggs and sausage that had seemed so appetizing before, hoping everything would just go away.

If she ignored what they were saying, it didn't have to be real.

Marriage to Draco Malfoy.

When Ginny came to herself enough to notice the rest of her family, her mother was patting her shoulder. "It'll be okay, Dear," her mother said more firmly than anyone could possibly feel. Her father was actually crying clutching the parchment, though it was silently, and even he hadn't seemed to notice.

Her mother and father always took turns with their hysterics, anger or sadness, so no matter how much trouble they were in, at least one parent was always in control. They worked well that way, when it was really bad; they just inexplicably made sure that one of them was always collected enough to deal with the situation.

Would she ever have that with someone?

This was maybe the worst that Ginny had seen her parents, though maybe it only felt that way because it was about her. Maybe they had been worse off when she was in the Chamber, but none of the children had been around to see.

Hysteria only rose when the twins, Ron, and Harry tumbled down the stairs. Ginny could see her brothers glance between breakfast and the recent commotion, and she was surprised when all three of them ignored the food.

"Mum, what's wrong?" asked Fred.

"We got notice of a marriage contract in place for Ginny," her mother managed.

"Bloody hell," Ron piped up, though strangely staring at Harry instead of his own sister. He thought it would be to Harry? Ginny for a moment wished it were, even if she didn't love Harry, or even have a crush on him anymore. Almost anyone would be better than Malfoy, though maybe not Michael Corner.

"What can we do?" George asked, warming her a bit that her family was so behind her.

"Who's it with?" Fred butted in.

"Luscius Malfoy's son," her farther spoke, composure regained just as her mother looked like she would break.

"Bloody hell." Ron said again, apparently unable to say anything else. No one scolded him for the language.

"We'll convince the ferret-"

"-that it isn't in his best interest to mess with our sister," Fred finished.

"Can't marry her if he doesn't live long enough," Ron grumbled, which seemed to snap their mother back.

"It isn't the Malfoy boy's doing any more than it is Ginny's or ours," their mother said.

"It's got to be their fault," Fred again.

"I always thought she'd marry Harry," Ron muttered, sounding disheartened already. Ginny looked at Harry again then. He had been quiet through the ordeal so far, though now he was blushing as brightly as a Weasley and glaring at his best friend, resolutely not at her.

"Can I get out of it?" Ginny asked, the questions finally slipping out, "How can it even be real? How can that happen without my permission? Without even my parents' permission," she gasped, the words spilling from her lips rapidly.

Her father stepped in there. "From the date of the signatures, it must have been about... six generations ago, maybe seven. I don't really know enough family history to be sure. Bloodlines never seemed important…" her father said quietly. "But there hasn't been a Weasley woman born in the family since then, which is why the contract would have passed to you. It specifies a male Malfoy and a female Weasley, unmarried adults within a quarter of a century in age. Merlin! We'll bring it to Dumbledore, of course, and he'll know the best way to get out of it, of course he will. Not to worry at all, Princess," Arthur Weasley said very unconvincingly.

The whole Weasley family was terrible liars, except possibly the twins, but even the twins told the truth more often than not, even about their pranks and schemes. Ginny left her breakfast and her family, Hermione, Harry, and Tonks still with the irritable owl, retreating to the room she and Hermione shared. No one stopped her from leaving.

*****Draco*****

The Ministry owl went directly to him instead of looking for Father.

It was a formal document, he could clearly tell at first glance. It was a… marriage contract. But Father had said they were only just talking to the Greengrass family now, and had promised that nothing would be done without Draco's knowledge…

To a… Weasley!

It was a trick. They were after his- his family's money!

Or… no, it was signed by his great- grandfather's grandfather. Five generations before Draco. So it was outdated and had to be breakable. And even if it wasn't the current Weasleys after his money, it was the same poor family. But the Malfoys _had_ money so they could pay to get out of these things, surely?

Everyone alive must have forgotten this thing even existed. He was just getting it now because- why? She must have just turned fourteen, Draco learned as he kept reading.

Within a month of the younger party coming of age they were to be married? That soon?

"Mother! Father!" Draco yelped. He didn't know why he called for his mother first.

 **A/N: Hey, I've been writing, but haven't felt ready to put anything out there, but I didn't want all of 2018 to pass without me uploading anything to this site. I hope you like it, and check out my other stuff too. I care about positive comments more than I should, even though writing this story has just been more for me. I hope to upload each weekend.**


	2. Fallout

Chapter 2- Fallout

*****Ginny*****

Harry's trial happened and he didn't get expelled. Ginny actually felt a little bad that people weren't celebrating more with Harry, because all of her family was worried about the marriage contract.

"Could Dumbledore get me out of it?" was all Ginny wanted to know. He hadn't, she already knew, or they would look happier. She really just wanted everyone else in the family to leave, to go celebrate with Harry or something. Yeah, sure, they cared about her and wanted to be supportive, but they weren't the ones that might have to be forced into marriage.

"We have… a good first step," his father said slowly. "The timeline stipulated was to be within a month of your coming of age…

What? Ginny hadn't even read that part. Because she had sort of thought that they could just put it off forever and never marry anyone. Ginny could live with that.

"But Dumbledore has been able to establish that coming of age should now be interpreted to mean seventeen, not fourteen. So we have three years and a month to find a better way around it," her father ended in what he tried to be a hopeful manner.

"So we just have to kill Malfoy by then," Fred said.

"What if we made him a girl?" George suggested.

Three years and thirty days until her life ended, because one day had already passed, mostly wallowing in her room, which had been a complete waste. Ginny found herself oddly grateful that August was a long month, because that meant one more day. It would be awful if she had been born in February. Of course, three years and thirty days was a long time. She could easily just be dead by then.

"And he thinks, Dear, that we should try to get to know the young Malfoy boy. He points out that… the boy is hardly fifteen and may very well choose a path different than his father's."

Her brothers started protesting at this.

"Dad, Draco only ever talks about his father. He's always going to be just the same," Ron said.

So, not only was her life going to be over in three years and thirty days, but she had to spend some of that time doing something she didn't want to do, getting to know Draco Malfoy.

"Dad, they could hurt her, and Malfoy can't come here," George said. Sometimes they were all good big brothers when it mattered.

"They can't hurt her," Ginny's mother said. That seemed worth listening to. She had sort of wondered if her life would be shorter because Lucius Malfoy would try to kill her. "It's against the contract. They would activate the penalties of the contract, which would be very against their interests," she said.

Penalties? Of course there had to be something making them do it, or they could just ignore it but… she really needed to read that damned contract. She was supposed to be a woman now, not a scared little girl.

"What penalties?" Ron asked for her. Their mum shook her head. She was getting upset. And it took a lot to make Molly Weasley upset. Would Ginny die? What kind of horrible person would do this?

"The children would go through a very painful process, leaving them unable to have children of their own, or perform magic," their father explained tensely.

That… didn't sound great, but… did it really sound worse than being forced to marry Draco Malfoy? Even though she had sort of… wanted to have kids… not seven but… three or four maybe… But not with Draco Malfoy. Could people without magic fly brooms? Because… if she could still do that, she could make quidditch her whole life. But they probably couldn't. Why was everyone making her do anything about this before at least three years from now?

"Could she marry someone else before then?" Hermione suggested. "Sorry for… interrupting," she said, standing by the door. Ginny turned to look, and Hermione, Harry, Sirius, and Tonks were all standing by the door. The non-Weasleys in residence. Maybe Hermione and Tonks would be Weasleys eventually, Ginny noted. But not Harry- and not just because of the old-fashioned taking the man's name thing.

But it was a good idea, even if there wasn't anyone she wanted to marry right now. Three years and thirty days was… maybe enough time to change that.

"I- don't think so, but we will look into it," her mother said. "Dear, you need to know that there is a fidelity clause, we think starting at your fourteenth birthday, that you need to be very careful not to violate," she said gently.

"Mum, I told you. I'm not going to do anything that could give you grandchildren," Ginny said. Though she hadn't precisely said this earlier- she'd simply said that she wouldn't actually get pregnant but… she wouldn't do either.

"Guidelines at the time had… more restrictions in mind… such as kissing," her father said. They usually weren't quite so awkward talking about that stuff. They certainly kissed each other publicly enough.

"So we make sure that's updated just like the age thing," Ginny said. But would she really kiss guys she didn't have any chance of a future with? Maybe.

"It specifically forbids other… physical relationships. You might even need to refrain from hugging non-family members, honey," he said. He was talking like her pet died or something… instead of just her childhood and her supposedly fun teen years. She had planned to kiss Dean Thomas next.

"I need to read the contract and have some time alone," Ginny said, because that would make her feel in control. "And then I'll meet with him, but only in a public place, and I'm sorry, but I don't want you all there- any of you. I'm not a little girl who needs to sit with her mum and dad," she said. It was about feeling in control. And because her parents being there hadn't stopped Lucius Malfoy last time… it had just made more of a scene.

"Ginny, you can't meet with those people by yourself," her mother protested.

"You said they can't hurt me, right? Can they make anyone else hurt me?" she clarified.

"They can't do that either, dear, but we're not just worried about your physical health, they are horrible people. And even if they can't hurt you, our world isn't safe anymore," her mother said sadly. Ginny knew that. It was why they weren't at home at the Burrow, maybe playing quidditch now, even if Ginny probably wouldn't get to play.

"I could go with her as a… chaperone or just disguised in the crowd," Tonks offered. Tonks was the best.

"I- don't know," her mother said. Mum liked Tonks, probably wanted her as a daughter-in-law, because who wouldn't? But Ginny wasn't sure that a lot of people thought much of her auror skills… because she always knocked down the umbrella stand and various other things.

"Ask Dumbledore what he thinks," Ginny said Ginny, even if it sounded whiney. "It's that or I'm not seeing Draco Malfoy at all, which I'm perfectly fine with," Ginny said. "And in case you weren't listening, oh brothers of mine, you can't hurt Malfoy, or I get it too. So if you're going to kill or castrate him, I want warning and to be unconscious first," Ginny said, because speaking like she didn't care made her feel better. "Where's the contract?" she asked.

"With Professor Dumbledore," her father said with a small sigh.

"Then you can get it back when you talk to him about the meeting," Ginny said. "Or make a copy," she added, because she really did want Professor Dumbledore to find her a way out of this. And then she left, being done with the togetherness. She walked past the non-Weasleys and up to her room. If she weren't a Weasley either, she wouldn't be in this trouble.

*****Ginny*****

"And who might you be?" Lucius Malfoy asked Tonks in formal tone, looking ungenerously at her hair, which was today her most common short pink spikes. They were meeting in Diagon Alley, at a fancy sort of place that Ginny had never been to before, of course, a restaurant with private rooms.

Tonks snapped back, "A friend of her family, a member of yours, and a qualified auror. Hello Aunt Cissy, we've never actually met, since your family persists in pretending that your sister who isn't a mass murderer doesn't exist." Ginny smiled at her friend's words, taking strength from Tonks's defiance. She might have a little bit seemed like she was overreacting, but Ginny totally understood. His formal way was really rude, even if his words weren't.

Ginny looked over at Draco, the boy was slightly frowning and looking from his mother to Tonks. Did he not know that he had a cousin? Ginny was certain that Malfoy didn't have any other first cousins, no close relatives at all besides his parents and Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Thank you for attending as chaperone in her parents' stead," Narcissa Malfoy said formally but with what looked like a genuine smile. Ginny would guess that really she was just a better actress. "We are eager to get to know Ginevra and appreciate your presence. And please do tell your mother and father that I hope they are doing well. We may very well be planning another wedding shortly," she said, "And I will hope to see her there." That was… nice if it weren't so alarming.

"Du- Professor Dumbledore has it delayed until I'm at least seventeen. I thought you would have known," Ginny blurted.

Draco's head snapped towards her quickly. It was the first time he'd looked at her in the outing, Ginny thought. And he looked relieved. Ginny couldn't hold that against him. She didn't want to marry him either, but marrying him in less than a month would have been unbearable.

"Well, that is excellent dear, now we have another three years to get to know you and welcome you to the family. We simply want Draco to be happy, and of course you as well," Mrs. Malfoy said smoothly. She wasn't easily shaken, Ginny thought.

Ginny felt ill. The words were nice and… she did seem to care for Draco but she wasn't the same sort of nice as Ginny's mum. Molly Weasley was only nice when she wanted to be and to people she at least sort of liked, but you knew she was real when she was doing it. But Mrs. Malfoy… she'd played hostess to parties full of Death Eaters, probably torturing muggles right in front of her and smiled through it, Ginny would bet.

Three years and twenty-seven days, Ginny had wanted to reply.

The last few days hadn't really been that bad, if she wanted to convince herself of that. Ginny hadn't had to clean the house or help her mother cook. No one really made her do anything. If only they were back at the Burrow, no one would have stopped her from flying whenever she wanted. She had thought about asking to go back. Death Eaters didn't seem as likely to kill her now, right? Or had she become more of a target? She was a young pureblood, so they probably hadn't given up on molding her yet, probably.

The table was silent until a tentative young-ish man came to take their drink orders. Lucius ordered wine for himself and his wife, as Ginny paid little attention, until Lucius nodded to Draco to order for himself and the boy asked for Cabernet Sauvignon, some fancy French sounding wine for a what- barely fifteen-year-old boy?

Should she do the same? How expensive was this place? She did have some money on her that George had slipped her.

Just as she had made her mind up to ask for water from the taps, Mrs. Malfoy cut in, "The bill will come to us of course. I think you might like this white wine that I'm having. It's quite light," she said.

Ginny couldn't stop the nervous smile, "Yes, I will, thank you," she said, half to the server, half to Mrs. Malfoy. Tonks ordered a butterbeer. That would have been good, Ginny thought. Honestly, she'd never had anything stronger.

"So, Ginny," Mrs. Malfoy started conversation again. She was clearly the one leading this interaction, both young and old blond wizards staying mostly quiet. Malfoy senior wore a displeased expression, as if Ginny and Tonks didn't merit even pretending to care. The younger, Draco, was quieter than Ginny had ever seen him- had he said anything? Except for ordering the fancy wine. "Third year was a rather important year. What electives did you take, dear?" she asked. Being called 'dear' made her feel uncomfortable, even though her mum did it all the time, even to strangers.

"Creatures and Runes," Ginny answered, and immediately thought it sounded too informal. But who really wanted to say 'Care of Magical Creatures and the Study of Ancient Runes?' Really, saying 'study of' as if that weren't already implied because it's a class.

"Oh, those are the ones Draco is taking as well," she commented, as if this were a great thing in common to be celebrated, but even she looked a bit tense now. It was… a little surprising that they had picked the same electives, well really just that they had both taken Ancient Runes, because most students took Creatures… though her class had maybe been smaller than the year above… Hagrid didn't have the… best reputation. Of course, most of that was Malfoy's fault, really! The brute had tried to get Buckbeak killed, and since coming to Grimmauld Place, Ginny had become somewhat fond of the beast. Luna would love him, Ginny knew.

But Ginny wouldn't have guessed that Draco- she was only thinking of him by his first name because there were too many Malfoys around- would take Runes.

"What made you select the study of Ancient Runes?" Narcissa- because she might as well think that name too- asked.

"My- eldest brother is a curse breaker for Gringotts. He uses a lot of runes in his work, to study and break apart enchantments, and I always found it interesting," Ginny said. And because she'd had to pick a second class, and none of them sounded better, especially after hearing about Hermione and Harry's experiences in Divination, and it wasn't like Ron enjoyed the class either. And she probably had wanted to take Creatures because of Charlie, because really all the rest of them looked up to Bill and Charlie.

"And you have another brother who was just named the Junior Assistant to the Minister himself. You must be very proud," Narcissa led. Ginny caught Malfoy senior- she wouldn't even think of being on a first name basis with him- smirk. It seemed like such a childish facial expression, and Draco would look just like that often, so now Ginny knew where he got it. That Malfoy must have known about the row in the Weasley family, about Percy basically calling Harry a liar and the rest of them stupid for believing him, Percy calling their dad other nasty things, essentially disowning the family. Draco's face was still mostly neutral, maybe even annoyed, so he didn't know. Narcissa… Ginny couldn't tell.

"Yes, very proud," Ginny said, and was saved by the server bringing drinks. Ginny definitely needed one. Was that how people started a drinking problem?

"I took Creatures too," Tonks chimed in to Ginny's relief, "Of course about everyone does. Had a few good years with Kettleburn, but by the time my year was ready for the really good stuff, he was too scared to do anything. My other one was Muggle Studies, you know, for the easy 'O' since my dad's muggleborn and liked to keep some things around," Tonks went on. Maybe she was just talking to have some fun.

Everyone just sipped on their drinks. Ginny wondered how many refills she could have. She ordered whatever Draco did to eat, some cut of meat that she hoped was steak.

The food arrived mercifully quickly, but magic could help that. It was a large, delicious steak, and Ginny had a big appetite. But a steak for lunch? They usually had sandwiches.

Ginny had asked a question of her own, how Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy met, and was quite proud of thinking to ask. That had gotten her quite a bit of time where Narcissa talked and Ginny wasn't expected to say anything at all. It seemed the families had known each other, but they didn't formally meet until Narcissa started school, and even then not well, because though they were in the same house, Lucius was several years ahead. She said she got to know him better her second year when Lucius was made a prefect. A prefect. So he was a fifth year when she was just in her second. That got Ginny thinking that she and Draco were really close in age. They could have been stuck together even if he was almost twenty five years older. She almost felt… lucky considering that. And that was why she had drunk her second glass faster than her first. Drunk- drank- drunken- dranken?

After her second emptied glass, Ginny heeded the looks Tonks was giving her and stuck to her water glass, politely declining another glass of wine. It wasn't like they were _full_ glasses. She just felt… pleasantly warm, and that was definitely better.

Anyway, when Narcissa was about Ginny's age, her parents introduced the idea of her marrying Lucius, and she had no objection as she had admired him very much. He was a seventh year then, and they started speaking, and writing after he graduated. They were married shortly after Narcissa graduated.

Ginny wouldn't get to wait that long, she had realized days ago. She'd have to get married in the first month of her seventh year, and Draco would have already graduated. Would she just live in the girl's dorm like everyone else- like nothing had changed? They didn't… have to have sex or do anything really. That stuff wasn't in the contract- which she had read multiple times by now. They didn't even have to live in the same country, right? They just couldn't do anything with anyone else. That… wouldn't be so bad. But Narcissa would be hoping for grandchildren. Ginny had… thought she's have some eventually. And the idea that maybe she wouldn't get to have children at all… made her want seven. Because if you only had one like the Malfoys did, and that kid was a Percy, then it's like you have no kids at all. And if she was a Malfoy, they could have seven kids and still not be poor. She'd just have to have sex with Draco Malfoy… and raise kids with him, or basically on her own, or with a house elf or something. She could have a house elf and not have to clean ever again!

"Ginny, we must go shopping sometime. I always wanted a girl to shop for," Narcissa said. The sour look Lucius wore made Ginny agree easily. So it was probably because Narcissa would want Ginny to look nice whenever the press found out about his mess or something, Ginny wouldn't let herself care. All her current robes were old Hogwarts robes that the twins had worn as first years. Before she'd fit in those, they'd bought her robes and other clothes from second hand shops. She wasn't sure if she had ever worn anything truly new- unless you counted Weasley jumpers, which Ginny didn't really. She certainly didn't have anything very feminine or mature. She'd had to borrow for the Yule Ball, because she didn't want to write home to ask for one.

"And you must come to the manor for tea next week- if we have passed your chaperone's tests for you to come alone next time," Narcissa said… sort of politely to Tonks. Everyone was done eating, though all of the Malfoys left some food on their plates- Ginny didn't.

"That's between Ginny and her parents," Tonks said, though she wore a smile as large as always, standing first to leave. Ginny didn't stand until the Malfoys did. She was glad she didn't feel wobbly. Just… still warm.

That definitely didn't go as badly as Ginny had expected.

Her father met her at the floo, gave her a hug, and turned her back around, facing the already green floo, as he threw in a pinch more. Tonks had been through first and just stood out of the way.

"Grimmauld Place," he said, and they took the trip together. Ginny didn't mind, even though she hadn't shared a floo with anyone in years.

Back… there, it seemed like everyone was waiting, too many people. Even in a huge house like this, there were always too many people around. It didn't help that half the rooms were still unusable. Maybe she'd help with the cleaning after all, just to speed it along. And why couldn't they use magic? Could the Ministry really trace it here in this unplottable old house teeming with magic?

"How was it?" Fred was the first to ask.

"Malfoy better not have tried anything," and there was Ron.

"We'd kill him if he did- after we figured out how to not hurt you with it of course, Ginny," and George.

"Ginny, dear, would you like some cake?" her mother offered. Cake in the middle of the afternoon. Her mother had baked because she was worrying.

"Actually, it was fine, better than fine. Narcissa was absolutely lovely," Ginny said, as if she'd been given permission to use the woman's first name. She hoped Tonks wouldn't rat her out. "They paid for my fancy lunch and invited me to tea at their giant manor. And I'm going to write today saying that I accept. Just me," Ginny said. So… it was maybe stretching a little, because she'd had some bad feelings from Mrs. Malfoy but… had she really done anything to deserve it? Maybe, probably.

"Ginevra Weasley, going to those people's house is entirely out of the question. We are doing the best we can with a very difficult situation, but we will not allow you to do something as foolish as that. Really, Ginevra, seeing them in public is one thing, but in their own home," her mother went on. Her mother was as prejudiced as the Malfoys were. Maybe that was harsh, and the Malfoy's deserved it but…

She had the power here, didn't she? They couldn't hurt her, and the Malfoy family with their pure-blood supremacy following the family line mentality would not want to jeopardize their son's only chance to have children. And that train of thought went on far, far too long. Children with Draco Malfoy, raising kids with him as the "supportive father." Sex with Draco Malfoy, ick. She wasn't a little kid, she knew how those things worked- in a general sense of what went where, and she did not want to picture sex with Draco Malfoy.

But she was pretty sure that she could live as an infertile muggle better than Draco Malfoy could, and his parents would know that too.

"I'm going. And before you try to stop me, talk to D- Professor Dumbledore first. I'd love to just ignore all of this and hope it goes away, but I can't. And I don't really want to live as a muggle, so I figure I better at least give this a try," Ginny finished. She'd tried to sound mature and sensible, saying Professor Dumbledore instead of just Dumbledore, but… the half-yelling probably didn't help. Nor did the running upstairs. And did she really even want to do this?

What was worst is that no one even followed her and yelled at her. She even heard her mother crying. Because something awful was happening to her little girl, and they were hiding in this wretched house, and they couldn't seem to do anything about anything. But Ginny wasn't going to cry.


	3. True Colors

Chapter 3- True Colours

*****Ginny*****

Ginny started cleaning again with the others, on the condition that they not talk at all about the Malfoys. Because there wasn't anything more interesting to do than clean or homework, and she had finished her homework well enough ages ago. She did find herself staring at the Black tapestry more than usual. She didn't even want to know what the Order was talking about anymore, because too often, it was probably about her- when really they should just be worrying about Tom.

"Hey, kid," Sirius greeted cautiously, two days before Ginny was supposed to have tea at Malfoy Manor. No one had told her yet if she was allowed to go, or if they'd be trying to stop her, which they easily could.

She had been thinking that having Tonks and Sirius as family would be pretty cool. And people seemed to like Tonks's family too. Did they know about Sirius being… not a murderer?

"Hey, Sirius," Ginny started impulsively. "Can you tell me what Narcissa was like when you knew her? And please try really hard to say something positive?" She asked. Maybe begged.

Sirius looked uncomfortable. "She was… never the worst. We just didn't get along well but- never really fought. She was a peacekeeper, I guess. She was close to both Andromeda and Bellatrix, which I would have thought was impossible, until the family kicked Dromeda out.

"And she… took her arranged marriage pretty well?" Ginny asked.

"It was what the family wanted," Sirius shrugged. "And she'd just seen Dromeda chucked out of the family for not wanting to marry the Malfoy git already, so she had some extra incentive."

"Oh, I didn't know that. I thought it was because she married a muggleborn."

"Well, it was, I guess. She probably could have said no to Malfoy, but she said no to too many, and then they found out it was because she was already taken up with Ted, a Hufflepuff muggleborn. They wanted one of the girls to marry _me_ for a bit, to keep it all in the family, for all that we were first cousins.

"Did you have an arranged marriage you ran away from too?" Ginny asked, even though it was pretty personal. But then again, everyone knew way too much about her personal life already.

"Not really. I would have eventually. But I ran away when I was just sixteen, and they don't always push their sons that early. And no one in their high society would have wanted me, because I did everything I could to look unfit for it, the Gryffindor troublemaker. Probably why they thought about quietly marrying me to a cousin."

"Too bad the Gryffindor troublemaker part wouldn't work for me," Ginny sighed and tossed Buckbeak another fish, because the hippogriff looked like he was getting antsy.

"Well, you _could_ look at it as you can be as contrary and difficult for them as you want, and they'll _still_ have to keep you," Sirius pointed out with a sort of sad smile.

"I'll think about it, thanks, Sirius," Ginny said.

Sirius nodded and wandered off, even though it was his house, because he must have figured that Ginny would rather be alone.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked later that evening. "I have absolutely nothing I can wear to tea. I thought about my Yule Ball dress, but it already doesn't fit, and it looks so childish anyway," Ginny complained.

"You could wear mine?" Hermione offered hesitantly. Ginny hadn't really even expected Hermione to have her dress robes with her. It was more like just a dress than robes, really, the sleeves being see through and only down to her elbow.

Ginny tried the dress on.

It was beautiful, and fit well, and looked more mature than anything Ginny owned. The periwinkle blue even looked good with Ginny's hair.

"Malfoy will probably remember you wearing it," Ginny pointed out, still looking at herself in the mirror.

"I would highly doubt that."

"Of course he would. You looked _hot_. Everyone noticed. Do you think we could charm the colour different? The girls in my year do it all the time," Ginny said.

"Ginny, we can't use magic in the summer, especially not for a dress," Hermione warned.

"We'll get someone else to do it," Ginny brushed off. "Maybe Tonks. And she can change it right back afterwards. It won't ruin anything, I promise. What colour do you think would look good- besides this one?" She asked.

"Redheads look good in cool colours, purple, blue, and green," Hermione spouted. "I unfortunately listen to the other girls in my year too much. They were discussing Hannah Abbott, but the same should apply," Hermione shrugged.

"So… it's already a bluish purple, so I'd guess green, but is that too Slytherin?" She asked.

"Maybe a lighter, mint green?" Hermione suggested. "I- am not a fan of Draco Malfoy anymore than anyone else but… I'm sure he's just as opposed to this as you are, and it might be a sort of peace offering? You said he didn't say anything at lunch?" Hermione asked. Hermione Granger, gossiping with her about boys- well, one boy.

"Not except for ordering," Ginny said.

"That's really unlike him," Hermione pointed out.

Tonks wasn't around, and Ginny found George first. "George, you know you're my favourite brother, right?" Ginny started.

George snorted, "No, Bill is," he pointed out.

"Well fine, you're second. Can you charm this dress a mint green for me? And shorter, so it's just above my knees," Ginny added. She was rather short, and the dress had looked pretty long.

George looked at her like she'd grown a second head- which would probably be his next prank project.

"You think I'm going to help you wear a short little green dress to impress Malfoy? Who are you and what have you done with Ginny?" George demanded.

"Oy, what?" Came Fred's voice, because of course Fred was nearby. Of course _everyone_ trapped in the whole house was close by.

"Ginny wants a short little green dress to go see Malfoy," George half-shouted.

"Shut-up," Ginny scolded. "Not short, knee length. Unless you think my knees are too sexy to show a glimpse of," Ginny said, hiking the dress above her knees, from where it currently pooled slightly on the floor, because it was floor length and Hermione was taller. "And if you could shorten the sleeves too," she added.

Fred frowned, and drew his wand. Soon, the dress was green, but the sleeves were solid and down to her wrists, the neckline was higher, and even more cloth collected at her feet.

"You know, that actually looks quite good," Hermione said. And nothing like my dress," she said.

"Fine, but can you at least let me walk in it?" Ginny asked.

Fred made the dress robe just barely skim the floor, still frowning.

"I would have let you keep the sleeves," George pointed out in a mock huff.

"And that's why you're my second favourite brother," Ginny said, giggling. Ugh, she was giggling. It had to be the dress. She was taking this really seriously, really, she was…

*****Ginny*****

Ginny had asked Hermione to read the stupid contract too, just to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

'…with the aim of continuing the Malfoy line..." was a troubling line… no pun intended. Ugh, she was going crazy from being locked up in this house! But did it mean that she definitely had to have sex with Draco once they were married? What if they adopted someone else's kid- that was Hermione's suggestion not hers- Ginny wasn't sure if that was really done in the wizarding world, but they'd have to look into it. There was no time frame or anything over that, like there was with the marriage itself so… she would try not to worry about it. She could probably just ignore it until she was too old to have children, because there was no real instructions or punishment there. Probably.

And their first meeting hadn't gone that badly…

Professor Dumbledore had given her the copy of the contract himself on a visit to the house.

"Here you go, my dear," he had said. "I wanted to thank you for your maturity in this manner. I'm sure you and young Mr. Malfoy will find that you have quite a lot in common."

Yeah, what they had in common was mostly that they were being forced to marry someone against their wishes.

And that seemed like a weird starting place for bonding…

Though he was not ugly when he was quiet. He had nice eyes, at least. Ginny had thought they were blue before, but really, they were more grey.

Maybe when they were older, it wouldn't be totally repulsive to… have sex. Even if they didn't like each other. When they were older, definitely not now.

Though the stupid contract had lots of other things to say. Neither of them could have any romantic or sexual interaction with anyone 'other than their betrothed'.

Other than their betrothed… so her great great whatever grandfather was totally fine with her having sex with Draco Malfoy tomorrow, so long as she never snogged Dean Thomas. Or maybe even never held hands with or hugged another boy ever.

Great.

Maybe that was something they could talk about over tea. Not.

*****Draco*****

She was wearing green.

And if Draco hadn't already been expecting her to be wearing Granger's dress from the Yule Ball, he wouldn't have noticed that it was the same material and basic structure. But she looked… different.

She maybe didn't look like a penniless Weasley. Except she still had bright orange-red hair and too many freckles on her face. And he had that terrible, terribly distracting thought of wondering where else she had freckles, because he'd find out eventually.

Freckles came from too much time outside, right? So then… she probably didn't have them everywhere…

Bad, bad thought.

The long-sleeved, floor-length, high-necked dress covered anything interesting. It hadn't covered nearly so much with Granger. Had Weasley want to be that sure that he couldn't see anything? Not that he wanted to. She'd basically turned them into more traditional dress robes, though they did show her shape which was… developed for her age, wasn't it? More bad thoughts. Really, green was a much better colour for her than anything any of the Weasleys ever wore.

"Did you know it's my birthday today?" Draco's father asked. Draco hadn't really expected that to come up. They would have dinner this evening but… didn't do anything else in particular to celebrate the day. Draco had been informed at a young age that adults didn't celebrate such things.

"Happy Birthday, sir," Weaslette said.

"My thirty-ninth birthday," he added. Ginny's eyes went wide- why? "You are a smart girl. Interesting how our discussions would be different right now if I hadn't married so- relatively young in life. Men my age get married all the time. And we would have been just within the twenty-five year mark," he said.

That was… really weird to talk about wasn't it? Draco looked around, and his mother's lips were pursed, but she hadn't said anything in a while. It wasn't going at all like lunch had in public.

"I say that I married young, it wasn't so young really, when you consider that _you_ were nearly married off at fourteen. Not that I think you would have any problems, even now, with those hips of yours. It must be the Prewett blood, hips for birthing, breasts for nursing," he said.

What the _hell?_

Draco's mother cleared her throat and called for tea.

"Ginevra dear, we are very glad that you and Draco already know each other, and you have years to get to know each other better," she said soothingly. Ginevra. Draco had only heard Professor McGonagall say that name once, during the sorting. It was sort of nice.

But his mother spoke as if her own husband, Draco's father hadn't been… saying that stuff… Had it been some sort of intimidation, power play? Surely the teenage witch not allowed to use magic was in enough of a weakened position here, in their home? It was natural for Draco's father to be angry that he came sort of close to being married to the girl. But _Draco_ was the one actually stuck in this, not him.

"You wouldn't know it now, but Molly Prewett had a nice figure herself, even after the first pregnancies, until she had twins," Draco's father said over tea. "Some would even say that we should consider it a lucky match, to have the family joined with such successful breeders. And even pureblood," he said.

Ginny Weasley jumped to her feet, teeth gritting.

"The loo, please," she said, directing it at Draco's mother.

"Of course, dear," she said. "Draco, please direct your guest to your rooms upstairs," she said, looking at Draco's father.

That was not discrete by his mother's standards. Basically so they could talk- or fight- without Draco them too.

"Follow me," Draco said, leading her away and up the stairs in front of him.

She did… fill out the dress more than Granger had, and Granger was older, the oldest in their year actually.

Draco moved to walk ahead of her again at the top of the stairs, but she caught his wrist and held on. What?

"I want to go home, Draco," the girl whispered.

"What?" Draco hissed. Though… it wasn't like he didn't know why. Really, it was only surprising that she was using his first name.

*****Ginny*****

How could he not realize? Good. Because now she was angry at him, and that left less room to be scared. "Because your father's freaking me out, and he's a bloody Death Eater," she said, the curse not seeming strong enough. "I don't know what I'm even doing here. I'll just become a muggle," she said, trying to prevent her tears.

Draco gripped her wrist tightly… the one that had been holding him until she let go now. Of course he wouldn't want her to give up so soon, because he wouldn't want to become a muggle either- and the pain and childlessness stuff. What he said instead surprised her, "My father was not a Death Eater. Not really. It was a misunderstanding and before either of us were even born. And besides, you're a pureblood." he said, though he looked scared, younger than Ginny seen him.

"He's a _Death Eater_ , Draco," Ginny said, very unsure of what to say in the middle of Malfoy Manor, glad in spite of herself that they were in some private room- Draco's rooms, she reminded herself. Because he had more than _one_ , and this was just a boring, sitting room or something. "Harry saw him when he saw T- You-Know-Who come back," Ginny said calmly, trying to breathe. To not panic.

"That didn't happen," Draco spat. "Of course you would believe Potter. Your little boyfriend. I'm sure you're sorry that he isn't stuck with you for the rest of his life instead of me. You're such a child!"

Ginny wasn't even sure what had come over her before she slapped Draco Malfoy, son of a Death Eater, right in the face.

"My uncles were purebloods, and Death Eaters killed them. And I don't have a boyfriend, but I'd rather marry anyone else at Hogwarts that you! And I haven't been a child since I was eleven years old and your father slipped me that diary and sent me to hell!" Ginny almost screamed, completely ignoring her surroundings. To her shame, she could feel tears escape. She had been doing so well.

"Diary?" Draco asked. Ginny looked up and saw the confused and irritated looking boy, rubbing his cheek, though he didn't say anything about it. At least he wasn't grabbing her anymore. "Why would my father give you a diary?"

Ginny couldn't stop the little fit of laughter. She hoped she wasn't cracking up. "You know _nothing_. You really don't," she laughed.

"What do you mean?!" Draco demanded, though his voice a hiss and herding her from the room they were in to the connecting room, that she realized was his bedroom. Ginny didn't even protest when he dragged her by the hand, a liberty she surely should have objected to. She was trying to fight off the numbness, the cold unfeeling of the chamber. All the things she did. All the things she could have done. How weak she had been. How everything else wasn't even real. She wasn't strong. She was a weak slave, pawn of Tom. There wasn't enough air in the room. She could never be forgiven.

"Weasley? Weasley? What the hell am I supposed to do? Ginny?" hissed the boy. He sounded almost as scared as she felt, remembering that again.

"Your second year," Ginny said in a shaky voice, not even thinking about why she was saying this to Draco Malfoy. "I was possessed by Tom Marvolo Riddle through an enchanted diary and forced to open the Chamber of Secrets. All of those people, my friends who could have died- every single person in the castle was at risk. And then I went down there, into the Chamber to die myself. To die so that he could live again. He was beautiful. I see how he could get people to follow him. So sad and beautiful, and saying all the right things. Until he tries to kill you. He told me who he was when I couldn't resist anymore. I left that part out when I told the story. I _knew_ who he was at the end, before I came down there to die. But I couldn't do anything. I was too weak," she whispered. Compelled, she grabbed a quill from Draco's desk and wrote on the nearest parchment, "Tom Marvolo Riddle. I am Lord Voldemort," even drawing lines connecting the letters. She had written it down obsessively often enough to not even hesitate. It was easier to write than it was to say.

"And now he's back," she said, looking up, finding Draco several paces backed away. "And your father's one of his followers, one of his highest up followers I think. But that doesn't mean anything. I know how Tom thinks. He lived in my head for a year. He would kill any one of them, including your father, including you, without even feeling guilt for a moment," she said, staring at the scared boy right in the eyes.

"If you want some more proof, I heard that Harry handed your father the diary back at the end, and he handed it to his house elf, but it had a sock inside, so Harry got the elf set free," Ginny whispered, the only happy part of the story, and she wasn't even there for it.

"Dobby was gone after my second year," Draco whispered. "Father said he was dead." His features held the emotions of fear, confirmation of her story with this detail. "Is my mother?" Draco mumbled after a moment.

"Huh?" Ginny asked, the air starting to return to the room.

"Is my mother a Death Eater too?" Draco asked, looking lost, grey eyes bigger than Ginny remembered. She actually felt sorry for Draco Malfoy.

"I don't think so. No. Or at least she wasn't there that night. But the fathers of Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott were," she said, slowly.

Draco actually nodded. "My aunt was. I know that. She's in Azkaban. I looked up some of the stuff she did one time. She- she attacked Longbottom's parents and made them crazy even though they were purebloods," he said shakily.

Ginny nodded, tears in her eyes. Neville had told her that he was going to go visit his parents at St. Mungo's over the holidays while they were at the ball together. That seemed like a lifetime away from standing in this frightening house, floors away from a man that she still felt had ruined her life, looking at the boy she was supposed to marry or lose her magic and never have children.

"Let's get you out. There's a floo in my sitting room," Draco said, actually leading her by the hand again, an action that they would have found equally repulsive a week ago.

Ginny stared at her scuffed shoes, fidgeting. "Will you be in trouble if I leave without being proper? It's bad manners."

"I'll blame you, say you dashed off while I was in the loo and I heard you use the floo," Draco explained.

Ginny actually smiled, though she didn't look up.

"Can I write to you?" Malfoy asked quietly. "I think- we agree that seeing each other in person isn't a good idea. But writing. I might need to know more things when I think of them. Assuming I believe you," he added frowning.

"Well, my mail is searched going in and out," Ginny admitted. "But so long as you know that, yeah."

"Okay. You'd better go, before Mother checks in on us. I probably wasn't supposed to close the door," Draco explained, throwing floo powder into the fireplace and nudging her towards the green flames.

"Dobby works at Hogwarts now, if you care. He's stayed free and works for wages actually," Ginny told him quickly before stepping into the magically enhanced fire. "The Burrow," Ginny muttered, and watched as Draco swirled away from her sight. One of her family would be waiting at their home to take her back to Grimmauld Place. They decided that that was the safest way for her transportation to work. She would never ever ever go to Malfoy Manor again. Lucius Malfoy was terrible. Draco wasn't the worst person in the world.

*****Draco*****

Draco Malfoy stared at the flames as they turned orange back from green. What the girl had said made sense. His father had been gone more than usual this summer, and they had barely spoken at all. His mother had been crying more, he knew, though she never let him see it. His parents had barely spoken to each other either. He wondered what that would mean for him, if he would be expected to join when he came of age. He'd always sympathized and held with the pureblood supremacy ideals and knew them to be true, regardless of whatever Granger's ability to outscore any pureblood insinuated, but he had never planned on taking an active role. And he was quick enough to realize that there must have been reasons that his father wasn't upset more upset than he had been that the last of the Malfoys was supposed to marry a girl that spends large amounts of time around Harry Potter. Damn, his life was only going to get more complicated.

You-Know-Who was back, but Draco was barely fifteen; surely no one would expect him to do anything for either side. He would doubtless be on the same side as his father if it came to it. It wasn't like he would be able to do anything else. But could he really do things like his aunt, and doubtless his father as well had done? To torture someone like Granger, or even Ginny- except he couldn't because of the contract. Someone had hurt her uncles, the Prewetts, he remembered, from genealogies. That was an old pureblood line that Death Eaters had actually wiped out by killing the last sons who bore the name. That wasn't what the lessons from his childhood had been about. If purebloods were better, why would they be casualties as well? The Longbottoms were purebloods too. And why was damned Granger so good at everything if muggleborns were lower than the rest of them? Could her muggle parents be intelligent as well? The thought of intelligent muggles had never occurred to him in all his fifteen years.


	4. Letters

Chapter 4- Letters

*****Ginny*****

 _So, you said you wanted to write, but I don't know what to say._

 _Ginny_

It was a pretty stupid letter, but it had been three days since their disastrous tea. School would be starting soon.

 **What was it like to grow up with six brothers?**

 **Draco**

His letter came the next morning. From her mother, already opened. Ginny regretted not getting to see the owl. She had noticed his large eagle owl before at Hogwarts. Now that she considered it, Ginny wasn't really sure how anyone at Grimmauld Place got mail when it was under the Fidelius and unplottable, and whatever else. But his owl was clearly fast, and Ginny supposed that little Pigwidgeon was too.

 _Mostly it was great, and I learned a lot of things I probably wasn't supposed to. There was always someone to play with, except when they were being jerks, but usually someone even then. The last weeks have been… It's too crowded, I feel like I can't breathe, and that never bothered me before. My oldest brother came to visit, and my second oldest brother wrote saying that he wished he could. It would be great if it wasn't so awkward why they want to see me. I think everyone is just waiting for me to scream._

 _Ginny_

Ginny wasn't sure what had made her write anything that private. She really hoped that her letters weren't being read…

Maybe she wrote it because Draco Malfoy might actually understand. Bill really hadn't had anything to say when he came to see her.

" _Hey Ginny,"_ he'd greeted her. No 'Ginny bean' but it had been years since then. Years when she didn't see him often. Not that she'd ever really seen him often.

"Hey," she'd answered.

"Sharing with Hermione?" he asked, indicating the empty bed.

"Yeah. I'm sure she's with the boys now," Ginny said. Ginny had been with them earlier, but had wanted to be alone, and then she didn't anymore. And it was just meaningless conversation, because Bill wouldn't care where Hermione was.

"Yeah," he agreed anyway. "Having a good-" he started to try to say something pleasant. "Sorry."

Ginny groaned, "It's fine," she said. Even though it wasn't fine.

"That paper says I can't hurt any Malfoy?" her brother confirmed.

Ginny laughed, "Yes, unfortunately. Or influence anyone else into doing so. It's pretty explicit."

"And you've been writing him?" he asked.

"Yeah, harmless stuff," Ginny said, shrugging. He'd probably read all of it like the rest of the Order. "How have you been?" Ginny asked sitting straighter. "Tell me something good going on in your life," she said. "Anything."

"I- I'm seeing someone. Probably the worst thing to mention, sorry, Ginny bean," he said.

"No, tell me about her," Ginny insisted. She still wanted her brother to be happy. It was normal. Even if she wouldn't have it. Because she didn't really think whatever Dumbledore was working on would work.

"She- do you remember the French Champion from the Triwizard Tournament?" Bill asked. His face was red. Even Bill Weasley was not immune to Weasley red. "Her name's Fleur Delacour," he went on. "She works at Gringott's now, and she's very nice. I- haven't told anyone yet, so don't spread it around, okay?" he checked with her.

"I won't," Ginny promised.

"Love you, Ginny, I'll say goodbye before I leave," he promised.

Ginny was happy for her brother, really. Because he had a new, gorgeous girlfriend who he got to pick himself. And Ginny was the first person he'd told, which made her feel special, mature. Of course, Bill was also there for an Order meeting, that Ginny wasn't allowed to be part of, because she was still a child. She wondered how much of the Order meeting was spent talking about her again.

Draco wrote back the next day:

" **Mother has four rooms to herself. Father has four as well, and I have three. There's plenty of rooms that no one really cares about. I would deny saying this, but extra space doesn't make anyone happier."**

 **Draco**

That was the sort of _dangerous messages_ that had to be screened by the Order. Her father had looked so uncomfortable handing her that one. Guilty maybe. They all should feel awful for talking behind Ginny's back when any Gryffindor should at least have the decency to… let her know or something.

Draco was nicer over letters, Ginny decided.

Ginny had tried to write a few things next- maybe about the quidditch pitch and stealing her brothers' brooms… because he probably wouldn't mock her for being poor in a letter, even if he'd think it- maybe. But Draco wrote again first.

 **I believe you. It was terrible.**

It wasn't even signed, which made Ginny realize that she recognized Draco's handwriting by now.

"Ginny dear, it could be important for us to know what that means," her mother said like she expected Ginny to explode or something. Her mother never would have acted like that before the contract.

And now everyone crowded around to read it too- well, Fred, George, and Ron at least. And Hermione looked really curious, and Harry looked like he was trying not to look curious.

"I think it means that Tom-that You-Know-Who- was there," Ginny said slowly. Tom was the name she used. She couldn't at first. But she figured that it would be the name he hated the most. "I'm sure it does. Draco sort of knew that his father was a Death Eater but… he didn't completely. And he didn't believe that _He_ was back at first. So, Draco's seen him now," Ginny said and looked around the room. Her brothers and Harry, and especially Hermione looked… like they felt sorry for Draco. "But since he said was, not is, I don't think he's still there- Tom- You-Know-Who, I mean," Ginny pointed out.

"That does make sense," her father agreed, looking worried. "We'll need to call for an Order meeting, Molly."

That evening, Ginny stared at a blank piece of parchment. She had to write it now to be sure Pigwidgeon got out of sight before the meeting was over, and she still had to avoid her siblings, if she wanted to be sure no one read her letter… of course, Draco's parents might go through his mail too.

' _That sucks,'_ was all she'd thought of to say so far, and it seemed like a pretty poor letter, that Draco Malfoy might not even understand.

*****Draco*****

A subdued Draco Malfoy stood at King's Cross that September 1st. It had been the worst summer of his life, and a surprisingly small portion of that was because he was betrothed to Ginny Weasley.

It was much worse that You-Know-Who had been in his house. Draco didn't even know what to think of him as. His real- or fake or whatever name, Lord V- name was terrifying, and the 'Dark Lord' was too… reverent. 'Tom' was almost bearable, but Draco certainly couldn't say that aloud.

And just having a marriage contract was way more to worry about than any of his classmates would have- well, maybe they would soon, but at least it would have been their parents to work that out and not their long dead ancestors.

Why couldn't there have been another Weasley girl born in the last five or six generations? But- would Draco be Draco if there had been? Would his father ever have been born? His father who had so badly hurt an eleven-year-old Ginny Weasley, terrified the whole school. Would the world be better without any of the recent Malfoys?

Draco was just supposed to be thinking about school. It was his OWL year.

Pansy would know about the betrothal by now. That would be awkward. Pansy had said the year before that their parents were considering a marriage alliance with the Malfoy family, though Draco had also known his parents talked about the Greengrass girls. Probably the younger one, because Daphne was already at least tentatively promised to some wizard probably close to twice her age from Italy. The younger Greengrass, Astoria, seemed so young, a year younger than Ginny even, and so much… less something… less interesting maybe. He couldn't possibly be thinking something nice about Weaslette. Though that would probably make marrying her easier.

And Draco had to see Pansy sooner than expected, at the inane Prefect meeting, which he had almost forgotten about, and he really needed to consider withdrawing from. Was he chosen because his father was friends with his Head of House, or because there had to be a boy and a girl from each year, and Draco was the least bad choice? Though how they could have picked Pansy... every other Slytherin girl must have turned it down, even Millicent. Pansy spent the incredibly dull meeting trying to catch his attention. Surely all of the fifth years knew what prefects had to do by now? And it wasn't a good sign that the sixth and seventh years had to sit through the same thing, when their job wasn't any different.

Show the first years to their dormitories- as if they couldn't follow everyone else at their table. Watch the children so they didn't get into trouble- how vague was that? Take house points only from your own house- what kind of person would take points from their own house? Get all detentions approved by a teacher before assigning them- what fun was that?

Weasley- yes, Ronald Weasley was somehow a prefect- was staring daggers at Draco the whole time. Granger looked at him often too- neglecting her duties already. Everyone thought Granger was such a goody-goody, but she broke almost as many rules as the other two. She looked- sorry for him?

Draco slipped out of the meeting first. He found Crabbe and Goyle alone in the same compartment he'd left them in- not their normal compartment from the last few years. Those two were almost a relief. They were dim-witted enough that they probably hadn't even retained the news of their classmate's engagement, if they ever heard of it anyway.

All he had to do was keep quiet and not suggest they roam around the corridor like previous train rides, and they could avoid the Gryffindors too. However, selecting a different compartment from their usual one could only keep the other Slytherins in his year away from him for so long. Pansy and Theodore Nott arrived only a few minutes after Draco had settled. Pansy was much more ostentatious in her arrival, pretending to ignore Draco at first- like Draco had ignored her in the prefect meeting. Draco knew that Theo was the one that he really needed to be careful around- a fellow Death Eater's son, apparently. Maybe the quiet boy knew more about their fathers' interests than Draco had.

"Oh, Draco, it's absolutely horrible, that ratty old poor family trying to get at your money," Pansy hissed, eyes angrier than her pseudo-sympathetic words suggested. "And that ugly cow you've been saddled with. She'll probably shoot up like her brothers and balloon out like her mother. Frumpy little thing, isn't she?" Pansy insisted.

Draco wasn't sure what to say in this company and not sure what he thought of Ginny himself. She was a little young, he supposed, but there wasn't anything wrong with her physically.

"Poor and no social standing to speak of, yes," came Blaize Zabini's drawl from the open door. He shut the door behind him. "She's also a filthy blood traitor from all appearances. Her family certainly is. But she isn't- unfortunate looking. I suspect Pansy is upset because certain flimsy negotiations on the part of her family have been dropped," he said, settling himself gracefully in the far side of the compartment next to Nott. "A month ago, I would have said that I wouldn't go anywhere near such a blood traitor no matter what she looked like. However, perhaps being a blood traitor won't be an issue with the girl, as Draco will be telling her how to think in the future, yes? She is young and moldable," the boy said… as if they weren't fifteen-year-olds talking about a fourteen-year-old.

"Of course," Draco lied. From the relatively little that he knew about Ginny Weasley, she could hold her own in a family with six older brothers, and she was not a young woman to be taken lightly. And she wouldn't give a damn what Draco thought about anything if she didn't agree.

*****Ginny*****

Going back to Hogwarts was awkward, but she was relieved to get out of that house. She felt like everyone was staring at her all the time. It gave her a lot more sympathy for Harry. Though she didn't have an invisibility cloak to hide under if she wanted to. And if she did have one, she'd keep it as more of a secret. But this new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor seemed bent on making everyone's year miserable. Educational decrees? Did they really need more rules? Ginny was slightly nervous for Fred and George- though this _Umbitch_ woman needed to be worried about herself. Ginny would take it upon herself to get that new name for the woman spread around the school.

A school owl landed in front of Ginny a few days into term.

 **She acts like we all love her, especially anyone with a connection to the Ministry. But if I wanted to take a boring class where we just read from the book, I study for History of Magic.**

It wasn't signed, and it was delivered by a school owl, but Ginny knew who it was from as she slipped it into her bag, smiling. It was nice to have someone to vent to that wasn't… in your house, Ginny supposed. Umbridge was a problem. She was already putting Harry through awful detentions every night, from what Ginny had heard.

Ginny wrote later that night:

 _I call her Umbitch. And I have "Defence" and_ I _have History of Magic in the same morning. I might try to skive off History and see if Binns even notices._

The next morning, before Draco had even gotten her letter, he had sent another.

 **I heard your brother made the quidditch team. Gryffindors should keep quiet if they want to keep surprises. I suppose he had practice with your family being larger than a quidditch team.**

That was… almost nice, or at least neutral. And it was mostly true that Gryffindors didn't often try to keep secrets, or at least her family didn't- except with the Order. Ron was thrilled to be on the team.

 _Well, if they had full team tryouts each year instead of just filling empty spots, maybe the team would be even more ginger. And what is with Slytherin not having any girls on their team? Is that something that proper pureblood ladies don't do?_

So, it was a sore subject that she wouldn't even have a chance of proving her worth as a chaser until her fifth year. And she never even really got to consider trying to be a seeker because of Harry being just a year older. But he was probably too good anway. And keeper had never appealed to her, nor had beater.

The next day,

 **I intend to drop both of my electives after this year. Will you do the same?**

So, they were having two very slow conversations now, one on classes, the other on quidditch, updating on alternate days, since all the letters were delivered in the morning. Ginny didn't look anywhere near the Slytherin table during owl post delivery.

The year wasn't going great. Defence was the worst, and she didn't love many of her classes, really. And now Umbitch was the High Inquisitor and inspecting their teachers? Ginny hoped that she got to see the woman question Snape. Would she inspect each teacher only once, or once for every year? Ginny would have questioned when she had time, when she was supposed to be preparing for her own new classes- but Umbitch's classes couldn't have taken any work, when she just had them reading from their book every class.

Ginny had her Defence text open that evening, though really she was writing another letter to Draco, when Lavender Brown walked up, Parvati Patil just behind her.

"Are you writing to Draco again?" the blond witch asked. In the middle of the common room where anyone could hear- though she wasn't that loud.

"Just working on an essay," Ginny said, tucking the parchment into the pages.

"Do you begin all of your essays with 'Dear Draco'?" she pressed.

It was just a draft to help her think. She wasn't going to send anything that started 'Dear Draco.'

"Fine. But I'm just trying to be nice because it looks like we might be stuck together, no matter what either of us wants," Ginny said, staring the older girls down.

"It could be worse. You could be getting married to a man twice your age who lives in another country," Parvati pointed out neutrally.

"Oh, don't listen to her. He's only twenty-seven, and he's handsome, and Parvati likes him, or she could tell her parents no. But Draco Malfoy isn't bad looking either, and he's _very_ rich. His mother is always very well dressed," Lavender went on.

So Parvati had a marriage contract already in the making, but she got input on hers, at least. Lavender wasn't from an old wizarding family, Ginny didn't know if she was even pure-blood, so she probably didn't have anyone trying to force her into a marriage. Though, Ginny's mother could have been a muggle, and a Weasley girl born still would have had to marry Draco Malfoy. _That_ would have been interesting- not that Lucius Malfoy could have possibly reacted any worse than he already had- or maybe he could have. Ginny shivered.

"Ooh, remembering something? A good kiss maybe?" Lavender asked. Ginny had never had an opinion on the girl before, but now really disliked her. Ginny didn't really talk to the Gryffindor girls in her own year, and there were only three of them, the smallest group Ginny knew of. "I could read some tea leaves for you," she offered. "I have my own set now."

"No thank you," Ginny said. "I don't have much of a taste for tea at the moment," she said, standing and grabbing her book, parchment still shoved inside. She needed more friends. Maybe she'd try to talk with Luna sometime. The girl was a good friend, and also highly distracting.

Ginny finished her letter in her room, tearing off the address line when she was done.

 _I'll probably drop both too, but I'll see how my other OWLs go. We should just meet up to really talk, no one around, no lying. I propose the night that you get this, fifth floor, two rooms down from your prefect bathroom, right after dinner. Come if you aren't scared._

Ginny read his note the next morning ( **What quidditch position do you play?** ) but couldn't help but look up at Draco when he read hers. It was a risky move, having them meet in person. They could exchange cordial letters, but their in-person interactions had been less pleasant.

When Draco looked up, Ginny quickly started a conversation with Colin Creevey next to her.

*****Draco*****

The fifth floor was much closer to Gryffindor Tower than the Slytherin dungeons, which would seem to give Weasley the advantage, especially since she had proposed the location. But, it was an easily found location, and she had mentioned his position of authority as a prefect. It was also possible that the Weasley girl hadn't considered tactical advantage in her letter and location of choice.

"So, we can ask each other anything?" Draco asked as soon as Ginny walked in, mostly because he had intentionally arrived first and wanted to speak first as well. He was not at all sure that he was okay with this arrangement, but he could always refuse a question or lie if it got too uncomfortable.

"Seems to be a decent way to do this. We need to know if we can trust each other through all of this, right?" Ginny reasoned.

Draco thought, deciding it was the best power play to ask the first question. When he settled on what he wanted to know most, he wasn't exactly sure how to ask, "Have you ever... I mean, I know you were only thirteen, but had you ever… been with a- man?" That hadn't come out smoothly like he wished. It was a stupid, insecure question too, but it was all he could think of, over and over again.

Ginny raised an eyebrow in an almost endearing way. Draco could feel the heat rising on his face. "I wouldn't call any of the boys around here men, but no. I haven't "been" with anyone like I think you mean. But you can ask specifics. How about you, have you ever had sex?" Ginny shot back, clearly not shy about it.

"No," Draco muttered. "You should know that it isn't done that way in society. Risking embarrassing situations and future inheritance issues. It's not worth it." That and Draco knew that none of the pureblood girls would do it anyway.

"Sure. That's why. How far have you gone?" Ginny pressed.

"I've kissed several girls. Pansy most often. And some touching too. She let me feel over her top," Draco worded, a bit smugly.

"It's called a breast, Draco. And who are these other _several girls_?" the red-head smirked. She was clearly more comfortable with this discussion than he was, for all that he was the male and a year older. The whole Weasley clan was probably open to talking about these things. Her parents certainly must have had enough of it to have all those kids. It just wasn't the way he was used to. Marriage was companionable respect. Love and desire just didn't have to be part of it. Separate bedrooms, little nighttime interaction between them, he thought. His parents already had the heir that they needed, after all. He had inklings in the past that there might have been other people in each of his parents lives occasionally- but they were discrete if they did.

"Tracie. And Millicent," he said blushing. "But it was just a game. There was a lot of daring, but one of the older years found out and said it was a muggle game, so we had to stop before much of anything happened anyway," he admitted, his face probably as bright as a Weasley. Malfoys didn't blush.

"I've only kissed Michael Corner," Ginny offered. "He tried to get more, but I wouldn't let him. He'd hinted that we'd dated long enough that other girls would have given him sex by then," she said lightly, "But I doubt he's ever been successful with those lines." Draco found himself annoyed at Michael Corner, a boy he had barely known the existence of previously.

The spirited girl didn't seem to be done discussing, "Do you want to kiss? To see how it goes? Nothing more than that. Closed lips, at least for the first one. Hands at waist, upper back, neck, or cheek only," Ginny said, actually laying down rules as Draco could barely think with his heart beating faster.

"Okay," he managed to reply, throat and lips feeling terribly dry. It would probably be horrible for her. Pansy had told him he wasn't very good at it.

Draco was glad that she wasn't a giant like her brothers, though she wasn't short for a girl her age. She probably wasn't done growing yet, though Draco hoped he would still grow too. As it was, the top of her head came to about his eye-level, he noticed as she stepped closer.

The girl grabbed the collar of his robe and tilting her head to her right, pressed her lips against his. Damn, she would have credit for their first move. And it was nice, smooth, he analyzed dimly. No over eager nose or teeth bumping as he'd had before. And he was just standing there like an idiot. When he was worried suddenly that she was pulling away he reached a hand for her waist and pulled her a bit closer, hoping she wouldn't mind. Since she continued kissing him, a bit more forcefully even, Draco didn't think she minded.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?" Draco managed when Ginny finally pulled her head away. His voice was embarrassingly high. That was a grand gesture, almost. Being seen in public with Ginny Weasley. It was the only thing he could think of to save face after she had been so in control.

"Why, yes I would, good sir. Though I wouldn't say no to a bit more kissing first," she said, leaning in, arms wrapping fairly tightly around his neck. Draco moved his hips back away from her slightly, glad that wizarding robes were loose, but leaned in and continued kissing her, cheeks ablaze, though he couldn't bring himself to care.

The next morning, there was another letter from Ginny. Did she want to keep writing? Should he have sent her something? Were they going to be publicly something now? He had asked her to Hogsmeade after all.

 _I'm a Chaser, but a pretty good Seeker too._

 _Ginny_

And now she'd signed her note, which clearly meant something.

 **Note: Reviews and Favourites give me motivation to keep writing!**


	5. Hogsmeade

Chapter 5- Hogsmeade

*****Ginny*****

"Hey, Hermione?" Ginny asked when she finally saw the girl alone.

"Ginny?" Hermione said back skeptically. The world and Hermione's parents messed up by Hermione not being an older sister.

"I definitely want to come to the meeting, but maybe late. I- had already been asked on a date," Ginny got out.

"Ginny, is that wise?" Hermione asked worriedly. "You don't even know if you can hold a boy's hand. Or- are you- going on a date with Draco Malfoy?" She asked instead.

"I am. Don't tell any of my brothers, okay? Though maybe I should so they don't make a scene if they see us."

"I won't, but maybe you should. And I haven't started spreading word about the meeting yet, so we can do later in the afternoon?" She asked.

"Perfect, thanks!" Ginny said, walking away as Ron and Harry walked towards them. Fred and George were over in a corner with Lee like always… And it really wasn't any of their business who she went on a date with. Or she was too big of a coward to say.

*****Draco*****

Draco Malfoy had a date with Ginny Weasley, and it was all his fault. Not a discrete letter exchange, not a private room to talk and maybe kiss, not even a cordial meeting with family, but a real date to Hogsmeade- where other people would see them. It was completely out of his routine. When he told Crabbe and Goyle that he would not be going with them, their blank stares were an unpromising start. Though he had never really enjoyed the pair's company, especially on outings. But it was what he had always done. What would Ginny even wish to do? He had… heard of Madame Puddifoot's, but couldn't decide if that was a proper destination or not.

Draco couldn't help but look up at Ginny frequently through breakfast, but he did catch her doing the same. Had she always sat facing the Slytherin table? She always did now. Her hair was different, the sides pulled up in a bunch in the back, the rest of her red-orange hair left down.

Neither of them rushed away from the tables and out the front doors like most students in the third year or older.

Had she mentioned to her family or friends what she would be doing?

Ginny stood up after everyone around her was already gone. Draco followed. They fell into step together midway across the castle grounds. People could probably see them together, but no one was close enough to hear.

"Hey, just so you know, you won't be stuck with me all day. I forgot I'd already promised some friends I'd see them in the afternoon," Ginny told him as they walked along.

What was he feeling, rejection, perhaps? "You don't want to introduce me to your friends?" He asked, in a way that was supposed to sound humourous, but it just sounded pathetic.

"Well, I think you already know Hermione, Ron, and Harry, so I think I'm going to go with- no, that seems unwise."

"Who do you usually go to Hogsmeade with?" Draco asked, realizing that he hadn't noticed before. "You weren't usually with them last year."

"Oh, Draco, you're practically admitting to stalking Harry Potter," Ginny teased. "But okay, last year, I mostly went with Michael Corner- a huge waste of my time. Sometimes I've gone to a few shops with Luna, or Gryffindors from my year. They're alright, but we're not very close," she shrugged.

"You're closer to Lovegood?" He asked, not wanting to use one of the names most people called her.

"She lives near us, so we were friends growing up," Ginny shrugged.

Draco didn't have anything to say to that, so they walked in silence for a while.

"Were you friends with Crabbe and Goyle before coming to Hogwarts?"

Did he consider them to be friends? Did friendship imply equals? "Yeah," Draco said, because that was easier. "I knew almost all the Slytherins in my year before Hogwarts."

"Well, if we're still doing the honesty thing, I only knew Luna well before, and then I didn't make a ton of friends my first year when everyone else was making friends, because I was too busy literally pouring my soul into a book," Ginny said, in a tense joke.

The book that his father had somehow given to her that had a connection to Him and opened the Chamber of Secrets and almost killed Ginny and several other students. Great subject for conversation. And she was doing better than he was at this honesty rot.

"I knew Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott the best. I didn't know that they would come to our house because our fathers were all Death Eaters. I liked Crabbe and Goyle better because they would do whatever I wanted, but I'm not sure that's ever made us friends. Nott has always been quiet, especially after his mother died." That was honesty.

"I didn't know. We saw her a lot right after that, but then she couldn't come around anymore. I think her father became really protective," Ginny said. Loony Luna's mother was dead. That was… more upsetting than it should have been considering he didn't even know the girl.

"What stores do you want to go to?" he asked, trying to talk about anything except death on their… date. Their half-date, apparently.

"Zonko's, Spintwitches, Honeydukes, and the Three Broomsticks are necessities. You?"

"Same," Draco admitted with a small smile. No mention of Madame Puddifoot's.

"Good. Because since you invited me, you're the one paying," Ginny said before taking off in a run, laughing.

Draco ran after her. When was the last time he had run for the fun of it?

Honeydukes was first. Draco watched as Ginny looked through every sweet in the shop. She made faces at cockroach clusters and blood pops, but showed interest in just about everything else.

Draco grabbed a bar of chocolate and a tin of toffees for himself and took to following Ginny around the shop.

She had a nice smile.

"The fizzing wizzbees were my favourite as a child, because I always wanted to fly," Ginny said of the sherbet balls. There were other people around, loads of them, and Ginny didn't seem bothered.

"Me too," Draco admitted. It was strange whenever he found a similarity between them.

Ginny turned and smiled at him before moving on.

"I taught myself to fly when I was six, stealing my brothers' brooms," she said.

"I had a child's broom that would fly a few feet high for... since I was two or three, probably. When I was six, I lied and said that Nott already had a real racing broom, and I would be behind him if I didn't get one. So I got a Nimbus seventeen series for Christmas that year," Draco explained.

"Did your father ever discover the lie?" she asked, staring at the hundreds of different types of chocolates.

"If he did, he never mentioned it. Nott got one for his next birthday after I had brought mine over."

"The boys didn't want me to fly with them because I was their baby sister and they didn't think I could," Ginny shared.

"Mother said she shouldn't have named me after the dragon constellation, because I always wanted to be in the sky." It wasn't that private, but Draco could still hardly believe he was talking like this, especially with other real people around.

"That's really cute," Ginny said, finally picking a chocolate bar that had raspberry filling and then wandering over to the fudge, selecting a peppermint chocolate one. Who didn't get the regular Honeyduke's Best Chocolate, and the milk or dark chocolate fudge? "Ready?" she asked. "Just plain? Where's your sense of adventure?" she teased.

"I'm being plenty adventurous," Draco maintained. "I'm also buying raspberry chocolate and peppermint fudge," Draco said, since all their sweets were on the counter, and Draco was fishing out the right coins. The old man behind the counter was smiling at them.

"Thank you, Draco," Ginny chimed.

Zonko's was next, the two of them wandering down aisles. "You know that Zonko's hasn't had a new product in years?" Ginny asked. "It takes the thrill out of the visits now. And my brothers make better stuff anyway."

"Your brothers?" Draco asked, though he had a good idea of which ones.

"Yeah, the twins. They have a whole line of joke products now. My favourites are the daydream potions, but their skiving snackboxes are a laugh.

"Skiving snackboxes?" Draco asked. Because daydream potions were not something he wanted to hear about.

"Out here," Ginny said, and they left the store without buying anything, and resumed conversation outside. "Stuff to get you out of class," Ginny explained. "Nosebleed Nougats, Puking Pastiles, and so on. You eat one half and get sick, and take the other half when you get out of class and you'll feel better. They're brilliant really. And the recovery half works well alone if you've got a normal nosebleed or unsettled stomach," Ginny recounted, clearly proud of her older brothers. "They'll have a great store next year. They're looking at starting in Diagon Alley for more reliable customers, but who knows, maybe expanding to Hogsmeade one day."

"You think they'll have a store so soon?" he murmured as Ginny walked them out the door without buying anything.

"They will. They've been doing good business at Hogwarts and had enough seed money to look at it last year," Ginny said confidently.

"They have an investor then?" Draco conversed, wondering how two seventeen-year-old Weasleys had enough money to open a business.

Ginny looked at him appraisingly, and then looked around before speaking. "I'm not even supposed to know how, but I know a lot of things that people don't think I do. After how the Triwizard Tournament ended, Harry didn't want the winnings, and Mr. Diggory wouldn't take them, so he gave it all away to the twins. They're going to make him a partner in the business, but he doesn't know that yet," Ginny shrugged, leading them to Spintwitches, the quidditch and flying supply store that stocked everything except for actual brooms.

Potter had just given away a thousand galleons. That was a lot of money, even to a Malfoy. And Potter didn't brag about it, and didn't expect anything in return, at least if Weaslette was correct. Damned goody-goody Potter. How was he supposed to compete with that? Not that Potter was competition- because Ginny couldn't be with anyone else except him. And if that _weren't_ the case, Draco would never want Ginny Weasley- not that he wanted her now. It was just… appearances. And attempting to survive their very difficult circumstances.

And he wouldn't throw a fit and ruin the last of their morning. He would act as if his mother was sitting next to them.

The two of them got a small table in the Three Broomsticks, always the most crowded place in Hogsmeade when students visited the town. At least he didn't see Potter and Company. But Pansy was giving him an unpleasant glare, and Blaize gave his irritating smirk from a different table. Crabbe and Goyle looked confused.

Draco went up to the bar, which stalled for some time, and returned with two butterbeers.

"You alright?" Ginny asked.

"Fine," Draco replied, sipping his drink. Really, they should serve butterbeer at the castle. It was hardly alcoholic- even a first year would be fine. "So, how do you know things that you shouldn't?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm practically invisible. And I'm good with a disillusionment charm," she said casually, a charm that fourth years definitely didn't learn in class, or even fifth year, though Draco knew the spell as well. "I realized very early on that the Ministry couldn't detect the occasional use of underage magic in a place like the Burrow. It became even easier once Fred and George invented Extendable Ears, perfect for eavesdropping at a distance," Ginny shrugged.

That sounded like a worthwhile product. Perhaps there was something to the Weasley twins.

"What else do they make?" he asked, because it was something to ask.

"Oh, too many to name. They've got some trick wands that do a variety of things- turn into a rubber chicken, or hit the wielder, lots of stuff. A telescope that punches you in the eye- and they've also got excellent bruise removal paste. Screaming yo-yos, hats that make your head vanish- also good for sneaking, several sweets I hadn't mentioned- canary creams, turn you into a giant canary for a bit, ton-tongue toffee, makes your tongue grow. A pimple vanisher. And they've almost got a neat reusable hangman worked out. And loads of fireworks are in development now too," Ginny explained animatedly. It was easy to listen to her talk, and Draco had never had much patience for other people talking.

And it also wasn't bad to just sit and sip on their butterbeers.

"Well, you should probably find your friends," Draco said when he was starting to feel awkward and the room was becoming less crowded. He'd probably just go back to Hogwarts. Really, Hogsmeade lost its thrill after the first few visits, and he didn't really want to see Ginny walking around with Potter, and he really didn't want to talk to any of his own friends- if friends was even the right word for them.

"Yeah, I guess I should. I had a great time though. Thank you, Draco," she said.

"You're welcome," he managed.

She raised an eyebrow, "Thanks, Ginny, I had a great time too," she said in a passable impression of him, except the words were completely out of character.

But she did trick him into smiling.

"Have a good afternoon," he said, even though he wasn't sure he meant it.

Ginny was fun to be around when he wasn't worried about society and duty, and everything else in their lives. She was funny, inventive, genuine. She hadn't had every advantage he had had. Money, abundant material possessions, undivided attention of two devoted parents... one of which was a Death Eater.

*****Ginny*****

Ginny was feeling sort of guilty for ditching Draco, but it wasn't like she could bring him to this meeting, and she _wasn't_ going to miss the very first meeting and get left out of everything.

The Hog's Head looked like the sort of place that would serve a first year firewhiskey. Which was maybe worth trying for after the meeting. It was dirty, smelled like a barn, and she'd definitely have to use cleaning spells on her shoes just after standing on the floor. She'd take the Three Broomsticks any day, even if she couldn't order anything stronger than butterbeer- and maybe a glass of wine if Draco ordered it. Maybe she'd ask him to try next time. She was already planning for a next time.

Ginny saw another problem with the filthy pub almost as immediately. It was very quiet. Sure, there were only a handful of people in the bar that weren't there for the meeting, but each of them would hear exactly what they were planning. And with Umbridge trying to control every aspect of their lives- especially Harry's, secrecy had seemed like a good idea. And Ginny really didn't like people trying to mess with her life when so much else was already going on- like Draco Malfoy… whom she'd just had a pleasant date with…

If they'd wanted somewhere really private, they should have gone with the Shrieking Shack- though it might have scared some people out of coming, were they really the type that would stick it out? Though they might have gotten caught with a few dozen people trying to sneak in.

They'd have been better off in the Three Broomsticks. It had been so loud that she and Draco had practically had to shout at each other at the same table. And there were four patrons at Hog's Head who didn't even have their face visible, and the old bartender looked creepy and dead inside his eyes.

Ginny looked around everyone who was still trickling in the door. She tried not to look at Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot, Michael Corner's friends from Ravenclaw, but Michael wasn't there at least. And the others had seemed alright. Anthony seemed to be trying to stand as close to Padma Patil as he could.

Ginny settled next to Luna- who Ginny was very glad had shown up.

Hermione settled down everyone and started her introduction- which went pretty well until she said Tom's other name. She'd even kept 'Lord' in front of it, which Ginny detested. He was nothing but an evil old man.

One girl even screamed, but everyone was paying attention.

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?"* Zacharias Smith demanded. Smith was Ginny's least favourite Hufflepuff by far. How he'd ended up in the house was beyond her, though it wasn't like any of the other houses deserved him either. That was maybe unfair, but he was irritating in Herbology class, the only class Ginny had with the Hufflepuffs, and she was grateful he wasn't in Runes.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it," Hermione started, which wasn't the best argument when the Ministry and the Prophet had been doing all their could to make Dumbledore look bad. Of course, Harry saying it would be even less convincing objectively, because-

"You mean Dumbledore believes _him_ ," Zacharias shot back, jerking his head in Harry's direction. Now at least Ginny had actual reason to hate Smith.

"Who are you?" Ron asked. Because sometimes it seemed like no one in Hogwarts knew anyone outside of their house or year. But Ginny would have thought Zacharias would be more well known, being on the Hufflepuff quidditch team and generally insufferable. Ginny might not have known Draco if he wasn't Draco Malfoy.

"Zacharias Smith. And I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back," Smith declared. Because he'd seen it happen, yeah? These people weren't going to believe it any more when Harry said it this time.

"Look, that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about," Hermione tried.

"It's okay, Hermione," Harry said. And he said the same thing Ginny was thinking- that if these people didn't believe Dumbledore, they wouldn't believe Harry either.

Zacharias asked an even worse question, throwing Cedric Diggory's name around, and saying that he thinks 'we'd all' like to know how that really happened. As if the little slime ball spoke for everyone.

And then Harry told him off and told everyone that they could just leave if they just wanted to hear about that.

And that was when Ginny really knew that no one was leaving- no one wanted to be shamed like that.

And it soon became a weird sort of contest of parading around all the truly incredible things Harry had done, and Harry downplaying it all. It was a huge reminder of why Ginny had had a crush on him, and what made him even better than just a famous person who had done those things… none of which were thoughts she wanted to be having right now.

She'd be able to list a dozen negative qualities Harry had- if she just had time to think about it- somehow. And she would have to try not to notice how Cho Chang was watching Harry.

When Ginny was thinking straight, Luna had derailed the conversation to an argument about an army of fire spirits the Ministry was supposed to have or something. Oh, Ginny loved Luna so much, but they really needed to get on topic.

"…Just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you-" and now she was pretty sure Luna was insulting Hermione.

"Hem, hem," Ginny said, startling most of the students gathered into looking around wildly for Umbridge. She really needed to use that more. "Don't we need to decide when we're going to meet for these defence lessons?" she pointed out to do something useful.

But even after that, nothing was really decided, not a location or a lesson time. And maybe that was for the best, because Ginny still hadn't forgotten the shady people in the pub. Just because none of them were Umbridge-shaped, didn't mean this couldn't come crashing around them. Sure, they weren't breaking any rules technically, but Umbridge could make new rules whenever she wanted. And then, they'd have to be much sneakier than this.

Finally, Hermione got them all to sign a list and they left. Ginny ran after Luna before she lost the blond girl, because the two of them hadn't really talked in too long.

"Hey, Luna," Ginny greeted. "It will be fun to be in the group together. I'm glad you could make it," she said.

"It will be. Will you be inviting your husband?" Luna asked plainly.

Husband. "Draco's not my husband. Dumbledore might still get us out of that. We're just… getting to know each other just in case. But he really wouldn't fit in something like this. Hermione and the guys never would have gone for it," Ginny said. That was a suggestion so crazy that only Luna would have it.

"It seems to me like he needs defence training more than the rest of us, with his father being the leader of the Scarclaws," Luna announced. But Ginny knew that Luna knew why Draco was really at risk. "You might want to check with Hermione though before you go recruiting. There must be an exception for getting new members, but it seems that she put a nasty hex on that parchment for anyone who told. Why else would she want us to sign anything? Giving someone your name is powerful, you know. Father thought about naming me something secret that only he and mother knew. He might have, I suppose, and I wouldn't know it," Luna went on, and Ginny wasn't sure how much of that was real.

Did Hermione put a hex on them? Hermione and Luna were about as different as two people could be while Ginny could still consider them both her good friends. That paper was all the more reason not to say anything about it to Draco. That would just be weird. And they had been cordial to each other, but she didn't trust him that much. He wouldn't want Ginny to get in trouble, but that didn't mean that he didn't hate everyone in that room, probably almost everyone else who wasn't in Slytherin. Though he didn't actually seem to like that many Slytherins either.

 **A/N: I used some direct quotes for dialogue in the Hog's Head scene in the Order of the Phoenix, summarizing and changing bits when I felt I could. Reviews keep me motivated!**

 **A/N: So... I mess up. I posted chapter 6 instead of chapter 4 and didn't notice until I read reviews. So, chapter 4 is now right, and I'm posting chapter 5, and will post chapter 6 in its rightful spot soon.**


	6. Belonging

**A/N: So, I messed up, and posted chapter 6 instead of chapter 4. So now, chapters 4 and 5 are up where they belong, and chapter 6 is here now too. Sorry about that.**

Chapter 6- Belonging

*****Ginny*****

Being part of a secret group was even cooler after Umbridge made it officially against the school rules- or maybe even against the law. Ginny wasn't sure what Educational Decrees counted as. She didn't really care to find out, because they'd be gone as soon as Umbridge was. And, of course, they were going to get caught when meeting in that quiet, unsavory bar. But it didn't really matter, because they were doing it anyway, and they had an incredible space.

A room that would give you anything that you wanted. None of the people there seemed to know that the room existed, but how many students had found it over the years? How many illicit romances had happened in this magical room? And... how many were now going to sneak up here now that they knew about it? Way more room than broom cupboards, room to be horizontal or- whatever.

The room was amazing. Most of Hogwarts rooms were exterior facing, lit mostly by windows that just seemed to let in more light than they should. Some rooms, like this one and all of the dungeons, were lit only by torches (again, way more light than they should, and yet not blinding), and it just looked cooler that way

There were big, fluffy cushions that looked like silk, and so, so many books. It would be a wonder if Hermione ever left. Did the room make them? Or did someone put them there? Or did the room grab them from elsewhere in the castle? Though Madame Pince would notice if whole sections of the library vanished. There were other shelves with gadgets. Ginny recognized Sneakoscopes.

First, Harry was elected leader, naturally. And then there was the naming. And now Ginny wasn't just a founding member of Dumbledore's Army (granted everyone else in the group was a founding member too), but she'd even come up with the name. Dumbledore's Army. Much better than the 'Defence Association' that Cho had suggested.

Ginny started working with Luna on Expelliarmus. Ginny would never forget Zacharias Smith's objection and Harry's response.

"Oh, please, I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you? the irritating boy objected.

"I've used it against him. It saved my life last June," Harry said calmly, as if hexing Tom Riddle was just part of life. Smith didn't have anything to say, because no one possibly could. "But if you think it's beneath you, you can leave," Harry said, turning his back.

Sometimes Harry was just too cool for words.

Ginny picked the spell up easier than Luna, but sometimes Ginny wasn't entirely sure what Luna was trying to do.

And, Harry flirted with Cho, who was really bad at spells for a sixth year, Ginny thought. Of course, all of their defence teachers had been pretty shoddy.

Cho went on about how even though her parents didn't want her to, she'd defy Umbridge, because it was really important to learn to fight after what happened to Cedric. The girl clearly wasn't over her old boyfriend.

And Ginny really, really needed to grow up and not be jealous or whatever this was of Cho Chang. Ginny really, _really_ didn't like Harry. She just didn't like Cho either, but that was totally unfair after everything the girl had been through. Though, even when being as objective as possible, Ginny didn't think it was a good idea for Harry to flirt with Cho. There was no way the really pretty sixth year girl could be ready for another boyfriend. But Ginny wouldn't say anything because it wasn't any of her business.

And this was when being friends with Luna Lovegood was great.

"Well, my father is very supportive of any anti-Ministry action. He's always saying he'd believe anything of Fudge, I mean, the number of goblins Fudge has had assassinated! And of course he uses the Department of Mysteries to develop terrible poisons, which he feeds secretly to anybody who disagrees with him,"* Luna was still going on, and it was obvious that everyone thought she was crazy. And she sort of was, but sometimes she was right too. The Ministry was really awful some- most- of the time, like them trying to discredit Harry and Dumbledore. And no one had ever told Ginny, but Luna did bring up the Department of Mysteries a lot, and Ginny wondered if that was who Luna's mother was doing experiments for when she died. Or maybe Luna wondered if she did. Regardless, it was pretty dumb to ignore Luna entirely.

DA meetings were great. Scheduling got easier after Hermione made those coins. Hermione was brilliant really, what other Hogwarts student could do that? Maybe Fred and George. Fred looked especially impressed. Ginny had heard him complain to George that it was too bad Hermione would never help them with their products, because she'd be brilliant at it.

Between her classes, and DA meetings, and… meeting Draco pretty regularly- to snog or talk, depending on the day, Ginny was having a busier and more enjoyable term than she would have thought possible with Umbitch around.

*****Draco*****

Montague didn't even try to inspire them before the game. Not that Flint had ever done much.

Draco had to find the stupid snitch. He wasn't going to just follow Potter. Too many seekers did that, and no Hogwarts seeker was going to win matching their broom against that Firebolt. Draco hadn't even asked his father for a Firebolt, not wanting anything Potter had. But that was foolish, childish thinking, when it was clearly the best broom on the market and might be for another decade or more. All of the professional leagues had or wanted them, making them still hard for normal people to get- not that the Malfoys were normal, even among those who could afford such a broom.

He just needed to get lucky and spot the snitch when it was closer to him than Potter, and there would be nothing the Gryffindor could do about it.

 _Weasley cannot save a thing,_

 _He cannot block a single ring,_

 _That's why Slytherins all sing:_

 _Weasley is our King.*_

Draco's song was working, verse after repetitive verse, and Weasley missed the first quaffle. He'd probably miss every one of them after that, and racking up a high score would be good for Slytherin's overall Cup standings.

But Draco just needed to worry about the snitch.

Draco sang whenever he was near enough that anyone would hear him, especially Potter or Weasley, but it was distracting enough that it might not have been the best idea- except it did distract Potter too.

 _Weasley_ belongs _in a bin_

 _He always lets the Quaffle in_

 _Weasley will make sure we win_

 _Weasley is our King.*_

Lee Jordan announced the game, as he had every game that Draco had played in at the school. It was blatant favouritism. A Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw should have to be chosen to commentate the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin game, and likewise for all of the others. It was a huge advantage for the team with the commentator on their side- the boy got to shout warnings to his friends.

If they could score enough points against Weasley, the snitch would hardly matter. Like the Irish at the World Cup. Or if just once he could beat Potter.

Everyone acted like winner or losing was all that mattered, but really cumulative points of all games were all that mattered in the end. Technically, a team could win the cup after only winning one game. No one cared for the finer points of the sport.

 _Weasley is our King,_

 _Weasley is our King,_

 _He always lets the Quaffle in_

 _Weasley is our King.*_

But there the snitch was! And closer to him, Potter not in sight. Draco took the fastest, most direct path he could.

Of course, Potter noticed right away, but Draco had the lead…

Until he didn't.

Potter's fingers closed around the snitch just a moment before Draco's would have, leaving Draco just pawing stupidly at Potter's hand before he veered away- just before a bludger hit Potter in the back. But it didn't matter. Gryffindor had already won. Again.

When Draco had earned it, but Potter had the better broom- or something. Draco didn't want to consider the minute factors that might have made it his own fault. That he wasn't a sneaky enough Slytherin…

Potter wasn't really hurt by the bludger, he'd barely been above the ground, but whoever sent it- Crabbe, Gryffindor's captain said- was going to be punished for it. Though, knowing Crabbe, it was equally likely to be incompetence as malice. If the bludgers didn't actively try to hit players themselves, Crabbe and Goyle would never get near anyone.

"Saved Weasley's neck, haven't you?" Draco commented when he landed near Potter. "I've never seen a worse keeper. Did you like my lyrics, Potter?"* Because he had been able to break Weasley, even if he couldn't catch the damned snitch.

Potter turned away, ignoring Draco as obviously as he could.

"I would have said worse things, you know, but I wouldn't want to mess up what I have with Ginny, since we're so doing great," Draco said. That got Potter's attention. So he was jealous.

"Great? She hates you. She wouldn't even be in the same room as you again," Potter snapped. Was Potter in denial or just blind to everyone but himself? Draco and Ginny had exchanged letters and talked to each other in sight of other people- and a lot more often in private. They'd been to Hogsmeade together. Didn't castle gossip have them as an 'item' by now? Pansy certainly glared at him and Ginny enough. She was fortunately ignoring him as much as she could.

"That's not what she said when she was _snogging_ me last night in our room on the seventh floor," Draco shot back.

Draco was not at all prepared for the fist smashing into his face. Draco blinked repeatedly, eyes watering, blood hitting his lips. Blows came down on his stomach next. Draco Malfoy had never been physically hit in his life. His efforts to fight back were more pushes than punches, and they hurt his hands too.

Someone tore Potter off him, a Weasley actually, one of the twins, though the older boy was making an unpleasant face at him. Weasleys couldn't hurt him, Draco remembered.

Potter was sent off to his Head of House.

Like anything would happen to Potter there.

This was the woman who'd seen the first year breaking rules in flying lessons and had put Potter on the team as a first year. When Draco had gotten detention.

Draco was wrong about Potter's punishment this time.

By the time supper was over, everyone in Slytherin knew that Umbridge had banned Potter from quidditch. I lifetime ban, she said. As if that would hold up after Umbridge was kicked from the place.

His fellow Slytherins congratulated him. It wasn't the sort of praise Draco wanted to receive. He hadn't been good enough to beat Potter in a real match. He just wanted to be away from it all.

*****Ginny*****

"What did he say that was so awful to justify you punching him in the face?" Ginny demanded from Harry. Because she wanted to know which boy-child she should be madder at.

"He- said that you were snogging him last night in a room on the seventh floor," Harry answered sullenly.

Was that it? Seventh floor- did Harry think that she had shown Draco the Room of Requirement? She hadn't. And it wasn't like Harry Potter owned the room anyway.

Ginny laughed, "I _was_ snogging him last night. I do that often. Because I want to. And an empty classroom on the seventh floor is a reasonable place to do that, because I have to be back in the tower by curfew, and he can take his time getting to the dungeon because he's a prefect. So yeah, maybe he was being annoying, telling you about it, but he wasn't lying, and that didn't merit a punch in the face," she said, getting more worked up. "Do you have a problem with us kissing? Because if you do, that's your problem. Do you want to punch me for it too?" She challenged. Quite a few people were watching them now.

"No," Harry whispered. He hadn't looked so annoyed at her before, bordering on anger. "But he was singing that song too, to taunt Ron. You should know that he called it _his_ song," Harry said.

It was an inventive and effective tactic and didn't break any rules of quidditch. The song got under Ron's skin until Ron was a useless keeper, and that didn't even take much effort. And she'd never asked Draco to be friends with her family, because she never expected to be close with his, or his Slytherin friends.

"Ron's a great keeper in the field by the Burrow, and even at practice, but he's got to learn to deal with this, and you do too. Heckling happens all the time- you remember the veelas at the World Cup. You don't think they tried to distract the Irish players? That doesn't mean I'm _happy_ with Draco about it, but it also doesn't mean you can hurt him. And I'm sorry you're suspended from the team. Maybe McGonagall can do something about it. Worst case, you miss a lot of practices and two games, but that's the absolute worst case, because there's no way in hell that Umbridge is lasting in this school for more than a year, and everyone should know that by now. How many years has it been since someone's kept the job? Even Bill had a different teacher every year in the class. We never get to reuse Defence Against the Dark Arts textbooks. So yeah, it sucks, but so does a lot of other stuff, and we just have to deal with it," Ginny finished, suddenly embarrassed that most of the house was staring at them.

"Er- thanks, Ginny. Sorry," Harry said, staring at his feet.

" _I_ can forgive you. But I wasn't the one you punched in the face. Congratulations on your catch," Ginny said, walking away. She would be impressed if Harry apologized.

After Ginny was through the portrait hole, she pulled out her wand.

"Point me, Draco Malfoy," Ginny said, wand held flat in her hand. She wandered through the castle. It would be easier if she had Harry's map (which she wasn't supposed to know existed, but those three weren't exactly quiet), but this didn't seem like a good time to ask to borrow it.

She thought she was going all the way to the dungeons before she stopped on the first floor, not much above the Great Hall.

 _No_. Why did it have to be here?

It was just a stupid room, nothing to be afraid of.

When she finally pushed the door open, Draco was inside, and it looked like he'd been crying. Why?

"Oh what, come to yell at you because I got your precious Potter in trouble?" Draco asked. He was mostly cleaned up, but Ginny could tell that he hadn't been to the Hospital Wing. "I didn't even do anything wrong, and I still feel bad about it. Why? I'm furious at him. And I still can't beat Potter to the damned snitch. I've already had half my house congratulate me, but two of them have said that I wouldn't have to make him mad if I could just catch the snitch. Are you even listening to me? Why did you bother finding me?" he screamed. He was sort of still crying.

She shouldn't have even come inside if she was going to stand here like an idiot.

"That sink opens up," she pointed half-heartedly. "Big enough for a basilisk to fit. And it goes down and down so deep that you know you'll never be able to get back up. But I didn't care because I was so lost. I had lost," she said. "I _never_ come here," Ginny rambled.

Warm hands closed around hers, bringing down the one that was still pointing. "Let's get you out of here," he whispered. "Thank you for coming to find me, Ginny."

And Draco walked her out of the room like she was a child. No one was around to see, no one ever was around there except Myrtle, but they were lucky that the poor, creepy girl wasn't.

Draco was looking at her concerned, like he hadn't been upset with her or anyone else a moment before. He was okay for the time being, because she wasn't. Like Mum and Dad. One of them stayed at least mostly in control all the time.

"We're probably always going to fight a lot, yeah?" he asked.

Ginny didn't answer.

"Because we're different, and young and... angry that we can't control our own lives," he said.

"Yeah," Ginny agreed.

"I'm jealous of Potter," Draco admitted.

"Harry's had a pretty awful life. I can't tell you details, but you shouldn't be jealous," Ginny said.

Draco shook his head, "I'm jealous because the whole school knows you like him. And why wouldn't you? He saved you from that... thing, and my father caused it," he said.

Ginny shook her head, "I don't like Harry like that. I only- ever really liked the _idea_ of this famous person who did spectacular things, not as a real person. Now, I value him as a friend- most of the time when I'm not mad at him. If it helps, I just yelled at Harry in front of all of Gryffindor, and said I really was snogging you last night," Ginny said.

Draco smiled, "It does help."

"That's good, because I think all my brothers will be awkward around me now," Ginny couldn't help but laugh. The twins had been there, and Ron would hear from someone. "I'm hoping that something else was bothering you before you decided to taunt Harry," Ginny said.

"Well, we'd just lost the big game and… Slytherin has been unusually tense this year, with half the house knowing He's back, but everyone officially following the Ministry line.

"Half the house? That's a lot. Most of Gryffindor pretends to believe Harry, but I don't think a lot of them really do. And they're his own house," Ginny said.

Draco snorted. It was the least dignified sound she'd heard from him, "At least that many. Only the Death Eater's children know for sure, I think, but not even Slytherin first years really think that Potter would lie about that. Only the stubborn families, mostly the ones who will be worst off when he shows himself and they don't want to join him."

"That's rough," Ginny said, wrapping her arms around Draco. They'd never really hugged before, unless you counted while snogging. But she came from a family that hugged a lot. "Harry might apologize to you. You'll be cordial if he does?" Ginny asked.

Draco huffed a bit, "I think it would annoy him more if I apologized first, so maybe I will."

"Is even _apologizing_ a competition with you?" Ginny asked, but she was smiling. Her life was weird. She wouldn't have believed that she would be hugging Draco Malfoy a few months ago, but what else was she supposed to do?

"I'm sorry I shouted at you when you walked in," Draco said.

This time, Ginny allowed herself a small laugh, "Like you said, we're going to fight quite often- way worse than that- over the next… many years. So, we might as well not keep track of whose fault what is."

"So, if Potter's ban holds, you're going to try out for seeker?" Draco asked.

"I guess," Ginny said. Of course she would. She just felt horribly disloyal for being excited about it. "You're just lucky that Gryffindor doesn't play Slytherin again so you don't have to lose to me," Ginny declared, taking a step back. They had been hugging for awkwardly long, but it had been nice.

"Oh, that confident are you, Weasley?"

"Oh yeah, I'm just that good," Ginny shot back. She really hoped that she made it now.

"Then I guess you don't even need to borrow my Nimbus 2001 I was going to offer," Draco taunted.

"Really?" Ginny asked. She had been wondering what she'd do about that. She school brooms were awful, and Mum and Dad had just spent money on buying Ron one, so she couldn't ask them about it. And Ron's old broom was no better than the school ones.

Draco shrugged, "Like you said, our teams won't be on the pitch together again this year, and I've been meaning to start telling Father that it's about time I got a Firebolt anyway. And if you do well enough to make Potter look bad… I wouldn't complain," Draco smirked.

Real and fake motivations aside, Ginny squealed and gave Draco another tight hug, followed by a little kiss. He seemed too shocked to respond.

*****Ginny*****

She was on the team. She was on the team! She was on the team! She had to attempt to subdue her excitement around everyone. The whole house was far more depressed about quidditch than they would normally be if Gryffindor had lost the match. And it was worse that it was because it was an order from Umbitch, who everyone hated and was basically powerless against- except for the quiet rebellion of attending DA meetings.

Ron had to be talked out of quitting pretty regularly- though Ginny wondered if really Ron quitting would be for the best… not that she could say so.

The tryouts had just been with potential seekers and Angelina, and Ginny had pretty clearly been the only choice. She might not be as good as Harry, but most of the others trying out weren't even competent on their brooms, and never caught the snitch.

And the first practice went well, with the exception of an awkward moment at the beginning when she walked out with the Nimbus 2001.

"Oi! Where'd you get that? Did McGonagall get you a broom like she did Harry? Clearly joining the team without a broom is the way to go," Fred huffed a bit. A Weasley would never complain but… it had seemed unfair to each of them that Harry had just been given a broom, when he had a vault of gold at Gringotts, and everyone else in Gryffindor provided their own, even the Weasleys. And then there was the Slytherin team having their brooms donated by Lucius Malfoy- including the one Ginny held now. But she had to think of it as a loan from Draco, not his father.

"It's Draco's that he's letting me use," Ginny said with a shrug, throwing her leg over, ready to fly.

That got even Ron to look up from his feet, "Are you mental?" Ron asked. "Taking something from Malfoy? He's why Harry's banned in the first place?" Ron shouted.

"No, _Harry_ is the reason Harry is banned, that and his weird sense of protection over me that he doesn't get to have. He repeatedly punched a boy just for kissing me- a boy he had just beaten at quidditch by the way, not lost to." They all had to know that that wasn't something a person in control of themselves did.

"You sure he didn't jinx it?" George asked.

The chasers just watched their family drama play out, but Angelina was starting to look impatient. The team was majority Weasley now.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Because Draco may hate Harry and most every Gryffindor, but he doesn't hate me. And even if there wasn't that, the contract would make hurting me a pretty stupid thing to do. And, because the broom worked great at try-outs. Right, Angelina?" Ginny asked their captain.

"That's right. Now everyone, up in the air," she ordered.

And practice went well. Ginny had to constantly remind herself to look for the snitch, not just watch the chasers. Ginny knew at the first attempt on goal that the girls were going easy on Ron to build back up his confidence, but he was really doing pretty well by the end, better than he usually did at home. So he must have learned something in practice. He was just easily distracted and broken in game.

"You were good out there," Angelina praised when the changing room had cleared out. Ginny had lingered. "You're a great flyer. I'm glad you've got a good broom. You say you'd like to be a chaser?" the older witch asked.

"Yeah, it's my favourite position," Ginny said. It was where the sport really was, multiple people working together. But it also made it hard to practice when she hardly ever got to play with anyone else. But it had still looked like a better option than competing with Harry Potter for seeker.

"Later next term, we'll work you with some chaser drills with Katie and Alicia, to get you three ready for when I'm gone," she suggested.

"Really?" Ginny asked, which was a stupid response. But it was such an incredible offer.

"Yeah, I want them to have the best team possible next year too, yeah? And Harry will be back at seeker, because like you said, Umbridge won't last the year," Angelina waved and walked off.

Angelina was awesome. Fred had gone with her to the Yule Ball last year. Maybe… she'd be a Weasley one day too. Ginny would have to watch if anything developed there. If Angelina and Tonks could become her older sisters, that would make up for not having any for years. And Maybe Hermione would be someday too- a long, long time from now.

Ginny loved being a little older and really being part of things. The DA was the start, but now she was on the quidditch team too. She was playing and getting stronger with people she admired. She wasn't just the youngest Weasley, or the only girl.

 **A/N: The Weasley is our King song was altered slightly- did you notice it, and what do you think? Obviously, the rest of the song is a direct quote from the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Please review!**


	7. Christmas

Chapter 7- Christmas

*****Draco*****

"Is there anything at Hogsmeade that you've never done before, or you think I might not have done?" Ginny asked as they walked along the path. It was far below freezing, and even warming charms weren't the most effective.

"Have you ever been inside the Shrieking Shack?" Draco asked.

"Have you?" Ginny shot back.

"Well, no, but I've looked inside it," he told her.

"I've been inside," Ginny bragged. "I spend a lot of time exploring by myself, and I was curious. It's basically just a torn apart house. Do you know why it was made?" she was just taunting him now.

"No," he answered.

"It was for Remus to transform in," Ginny said.

"Remus? Lupin? You call one of our ex- Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers by his first name?" Draco questioned.

"I do. I also call Moody 'Mad-Eye,' though he's the first to admit that he didn't do much teaching," she shrugged.

That was… something. Draco looked around. They were on the outskirts of the town, and everyone was inside from the cold anyway. "Your parents are in that group then. The Order of the Phoenix," and Draco knew he was right from her eyes getting almost comically large for a moment. _Gryffindor._

"What?" she asked calmly.

"Those two you mentioned were in it before. And Potter's parents, and a bunch more. I got to hear a rant on how Dumbledore was trying to indoctrinate us with his people. But Father didn't mention your parents, and he would have. So either my father didn't know they were in it before, or they weren't then, but they are now. Of course, Dumbledore would have called it together again once _He_ was back. And Father knew that no one was at your house this summer, even though you flooed from there. I just figured you were all somewhere with Potter, because you seem to see him over the summer, but you were all somewhere together, weren't you? And- that's how you know my cousin too, isn't it? She's part of it?" He'd almost known already. Everyone knew the Weasleys were part of the 'Light.' They probably had too many young children last time to want to be part of it.

Ginny looked… angry? "So you have a theory, _nothing but a theory_. What will you tell your father?" Ginny asked.

"I-" he didn't really know anything of value. The only thing it could do right now was make his father hate the Weasleys even more, and that wouldn't help him. "I won't tell him anything. Like you said, I don't know anything."

Ginny gave a small smile and nod, "Let's get anywhere out of the cold. We're close to Spintwitches?" she suggested.

"Sure," Draco agreed easily.

Ginny looked at and picked up everything in the shop, just like their last visit, even though the merchandise couldn't have changed much.

She had a passion for flying and quidditch, even more than Draco's.

It was a shame that her first chance to prove herself as a player was like this- when everyone would compare her to Potter when she was playing a position she didn't even really chose herself. At least she now had access to a good broom. But not as good as Potter's.

Draco had been staring at a practice snitch, identical to the one he had, for far too long. Ginny was occupied at the back of the shop, looking at Beater padding of all things. Draco bought the thing quickly before he could change his mind.

"Ginny?" he asked, standing behind her.

"Oh, sorry, I can go whenever. I get sort of lost in this place," she said, smiling up at him. Noticeably up at him. Had he grown that much this term?

"For you," Draco said awkwardly, holding out the snitch he'd just purchased.

Ginny's mouth dropped open adorably. _Adorably?_

"Draco, that's too much. When I said you had to pay for everything on our dates, I meant butterbeer and sweets. That's way too much," Ginny said, blushing red.

"I've already bought it, and I don't need two for myself. If you don't take it now, I'll just give it to you for Christmas, and you'll have missed all those empty hours of holiday when you could be flying," Draco said.

Ginny smile, "Well… if it's a Christmas gift that I already know about… then I guess I might as well have it now. Since you already spoiled the surprise," she said, grabbing it quickly, turning the thing over in her hands. "I'm going to be good enough to beat you myself next season, even if they don't let Harry back on the team," Ginny taunted.

"We both know that won't happen," Draco said.

"Oh really? Which part?"

"Does it matter?" He asked.

Ginny smiled. "Not really, but don't think that buying me things will make me forget when you're a jerk," Ginny said. "I can't be bought."

"That's unfortunate," Draco said, walking for the door, knowing she would follow. "Ready for a butterbeer?" He asked. He wanted to feel warm.

"Yes, and then I think we need to split up for a while," Ginny said happily. Draco frowned.

"Going off to meet Potter, Granger, and your brother again?" he asked.

"No. But I do need to buy you a gift. I unlike you, I want mine to be a surprise," she laughed. "Meet an hour after we leave the Three Broomsticks at Dervish and Bangs?" she suggested. "They work on very interesting things sometimes. And if you see me in a store, you had better walk out immediately. And, don't take it as a hint, because I might be picking up things for people other than you," she warned.

"Fine," Draco agreed, glad to be in the Three Broomsticks and out of the cold. He'd find something to do for the next hour.

*****Ginny*****

Ginny enjoyed the company of Colin Creevey, now that he was a little older and less… saying annoying seemed really harsh. But he was enthusiastic, even about the really boring stuff that Binns taught.

"Ginny, how can you think it's boring, there were wars between goblins and wizards literally on Hogwarts grounds! Or at least, I think there were; I'm guessing. It's not in any books that I've found, but their headquarters for a big one was the Three Broomsticks, and that's so close to Hogwarts, which was obviously a big place for wizards, so they probably fought all around here. And they wanted wands, but they can definitely do a lot of magic without them. Do you think I could ask a goblin at Gringotts more? I haven't been able to find any books written by goblins, so maybe goblins don't want humans reading their books- or wizards won't allow them in stores in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. And wizards leave loads of stuff out. Do you know that house elves aren't mentioned at all in any book I've read about Hogwarts? I mean, I've only read two so far, because I'm not very fast at reading, and there's so much school work. Not that I'm complaining about that. Do you think house elves are related to goblins, because they look a little alike? A long time ago, I mean, like with evolution? Do you know about muggle science? Is that even real? Are dinosaurs really dragons? I mean, if humans are related to monkeys, surely we're closer to goblins than that? And centaurs, how does that work?"

Maybe he didn't ask quite so many all at once, and Colin had a long time ago gotten used to Ginny not having the answers to his questions, even though she grew up in the wizarding world. Even Hermione, even Dumbledore probably wouldn't have answers to many of them. But it didn't stop him from asking. And Dennis was just as eager about magic, but less about reading. Ginny felt bad when she'd score higher on an essay than Colin did, because his were always way longer and he'd worked harder, but he never minded.

Ginny thought that Hermione probably kept her excitement more hidden to fit in better. And Harry always had a lot of other stuff going on, or maybe not everyone raised in the muggle world thought magic was a big deal. Ginny certainly didn't notice it that much. Sure, learning a new spell was cool- but a little less cool than it could be because all of the other eight people in her immediate family already knew how to do all of it.

Ginny felt sometimes that she just lived for Hogsmeade weekends, quidditch games, and now also quidditch practice, DA meetings, and… social interactions. Even watching quidditch games didn't seem that fun anymore, when she was so close to playing in them herself, but she still wouldn't get to for what felt like ages, until well into the next term.

And, after the start of the season with the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin game, the Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff game could sort of feel… she would never say it out loud because it was rude, but it was pretty boring. The Hufflepuff seeker was obviously new, and he was who Ginny would be competing against next, but he'd probably be different months later by the time they played. Would it really hurt their academics that much to play more games? If they could at least play each other team twice, it would add so much more depth to the season. And there would be fewer empty weekends. And they should really go to Hogsmeade more too.

And Ginny always found herself watching the chasers more than the seekers, because that's what really interested her more. Davies was the best player on the pitch, but Ginny wasn't sure that he was a good captain. Too often the captainship just went to the person who'd been on the team the longest, or to the best player, not someone who was a good leader and player developer. He yelled a lot, from what Ginny could tell from the arm waving. Chang finally caught the snitch after Ravenclaw was already up by a fair amount, so they were in the lead by points after every team had played one game. It was still early in the season, but Gryffindor didn't have their star seeker anymore.

Ginny was almost glad that Angelina was going home for Christmas. She'd toyed around with the idea of getting all of the team to stay to practice even more. And Ginny would be okay with that if she got to practice chaser moves, but there hadn't been any more talk of that since her first day. Maybe she'd go flying with Draco with the castle empty. Of course, she'd have to use a school broom then.

*****Draco*****

Draco had said that he needed to stay at the castle to study for OWLs, but really, he just didn't feel like being at the manor, especially because at any time _He_ could make himself at home in the place where Draco had grown up. Really, ever since coming to Hogwarts, going home for Christmas hadn't been as appealing as he'd thought. And this year he didn't even ask Crabbe and Goyle to stay with him, because Draco didn't want them to.

And Ginny said she could stay, so they could have some time with the castle almost entirely alone. Not that… well, they'd been to Hogsmeade together twice at this point, and the whole castle knew they were… dating, he supposed. They talked and snogged and bought each other Christmas gifts, so it probably qualified. And they were almost certainly getting married in two years and some months. And when after he'd accepted that it was going to happen, she wasn't repulsive company.

Draco was ready for the term to just end, and leave him in peace for two weeks. Two weeks without awkwardly talking to his housemates, or pretending to not hate Umbridge. And two weeks without seeing Potter, or Granger, or any Weasley but Ginny.

The pop of a house elf woke Draco, and he could tell, even in the dark dungeon room, that it wasn't morning yet. That was strange, house elves never woke anyone.

Draco lit his wand and turned on the frightened creature.

"Dobby?" he asked. The elf wore a strange assortment of clothes including about six hats stacked on top of each other, shaking precariously. "Ginny said you were here," he said dimly. Had he ever spoken to the elf anything but an order.

"I is having a message from Miss Weezes. She is saying she leaving castle. Father is hurt bad and all Weezles leave castle," the elf gave his message and popped away before Draco could say anything else, not that he would know what to say.

His holiday was going to be a lot worse now. And he was a prat for making this about himself. And the elf was afraid of him for good reason. Damnit, he was happier before Ginny Weasley came into his life. Or maybe he wasn't.

She was leaving the castle because her father was hurt, probably badly, but she wanted him to know what was happening. She had been going to stay at the castle, giving up seeing her family and everything that was probably interesting about the Order that her parents were a part of. And now she was definitely going to have a worse Christmas than he was.

What if her father died? They were poor, but her father had to make a decent wage, that was just split among so many children. How would they be without that income? Maybe it would be okay because the older sons had jobs, and the twins were set up financially, but they wouldn't have the same bright future with the burden of a large family they didn't choose. Would Dumbledore take care of them if he was hurt on the Order of the Phoenix's instructions? Had… _He- had Tom-_ been responsible- probably not, because Ginny's father wasn't yet dead. But Death Eaters perhaps… like Draco's father. Draco's father who hated Mr. Weasley so much. Draco felt sick.

*****Ginny*****

Being taken by Professor McGonagall to the Headmaster's office while Ginny wore her too-small dressing gown that she'd had since it was too big for her in her first year… was one of the least awful part of the night. When she was putting on that dressing gown and McGonagall was waking up the twins, Ginny had quickly called Dobby to let Draco know. She'd felt like an arse for doing it, because Dobby was probably afraid of Draco, but she didn't know any other elves' names to call, and she was just glad that he'd come.

After an uncomfortable bit in the headmaster's office, they were sent back to creepy Grimmauld Place. The house seemed even than it had a few months ago, but maybe that was just her.

Harry told them about his terrifying vision which everyone in the Order believed, so it had to be true- which was weirder magic than Ginny had ever heard of. Ron and Harry kept looking at each other as Harry spoke, and Ginny was certain that Harry was hiding something and Ron was helping him do it, which just made her more upset.

The Order had their secrets. Harry and Ron had their secrets. No one was talking to her, and her father was hurt, and Ginny didn't even know how bad it was.

And a snake attack was bringing back the terror from her first year, the horror that she caused.

And she was told that they couldn't go to St. Mungo's now, because then everyone would wonder how they found out. She didn't give a damn about nosy, evil people like Umbitch.

Sirius tried to cheer everyone up, passing around butterbeer. Butterbeer wasn't going to fix this. Ginny didn't even really want to drink it, because she had so many pleasant memories associated with butterbeer, mostly with Hogsmeade, and she didn't want to taint those.

The awful night ended just after five when Mum came in, and said Ginny's father would be okay.

It was really strange that Ginny actually thought that she was sorry they didn't have an owl at the place for her to send a letter to Draco.

But still, even if her family was okay this time… there was clearly a war starting back. Her uncles had died last time, but Ginny had just been an infant, so she never felt the loss. Bill and Charlie talked about them sometimes, and Ginny knew that her mother still missed her brothers terribly. Ginny had so much family, and they were all so involved… what was the chance that they would make it through without losing someone- or everyone?

*****Draco*****

Draco found himself on the second to last day of term pacing in front of Professor McGonagall's office. He was missing breakfast and wouldn't be ready for his first class. And he had no way of knowing if she'd even be there. Finally, he knocked because he'd come this far.

"Come in," the witch called. She frowned at him when he walked in. To be fair, she frowned most of the time, as far as Draco could tell.

"Is Mr. Weasley going to be okay?" Draco murmured. Because other than Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall was the only one who Draco was completely sure would know. She was Dumbledore's second in command, and definitely part of his Order of the Phoenix.

"And what would you know about that, Mr. Malfoy?" she questioned almost suspiciously.

"Ginny sent a house elf in the middle of the night to tell me she was leaving the castle because her father was hurt. I- assume she won't be back until next term?" Draco asked.

"I did not realize how close the two of you had gotten, though perhaps I should have guessed from the display on the quidditch pitch," McGonagall said in what sounded like a neutral tone, but she clearly blamed him for getting her seeker banned. Draco didn't make Potter punch him in the face, and he didn't make Umbridge do anything.

"Was it a Death Eater attack?" Draco asked directly, because that was the Gryffindor thing, wasn't it? And he was tired of this conversation already.

"The cause is not your concern, Mr. Malfoy, in fact, I believe-"

"Was it my father?" Draco asked anyway. That surprised her.

"No, child. If you must know, I can tell you that Mr. Weasley was bitten by a snake, and it should not be-"

"Tom has a snake. You-Know-Who. I've seen it. I don't know what type it is, but if I could- I don't know." What was he saying? Mr. Weasley was someone he would have considered spitting in the general direction of just months previously… before he was likely his future father-in-law.

"That is very helpful of you, Mr. Malfoy, but I do not believe it will be necessary. We have that information already, and his healing is in process. In fact, Professor Snape is consulting with brewing the antidote, so you need not worry yourself over it," the witch said.

Draco swallowed in his dry throat.

"And you're sure he will… brew it correctly?" Draco asked.

"Are you doubting your Head of House's skill, Mr. Malfoy?" his professor asked, rather affronted. This wasn't working.

No, it was worse. "No, I'm just- I've known Professor Snape all my life. I called him Uncle Severus when I was a child but… are you sure he's really trying to _help_ Mr. Weasley?" Draco asked uncomfortably.

The stern professor visibly softened.

"Thank you for your concern, child. Yes, we are quite confident that Professor Snape will work to the best of his abilities, and that Mr. Weasley will be well shortly, hopefully in time to spend Christmas at home with his family. Now, I believe you have class to attend, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes, professor," Draco replied. "So, Ginny will be back next term?" he asked. Because he had wanted to ask if she'd be back sooner but… if she was already spending time with her parents, of course she wouldn't be able to leave.

It was the first time he'd noticed that the elder witch looked tired. She probably had been up all night.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. All of the Weasley children and Mr. Potter will return to school before classes resume for the term. And if would be very bad for Miss Weasley if Dolores Umbridge were to find out any specifics of their departure," she watched, and Draco knew he was being tested.

"I wouldn't tell her anything. She's worse than Lockheart," Draco said, hand on the door. Professor McGonagall's brief smile told him he'd answered correctly if he needed any confirmation.

Draco felt that he should be happier. Ginny's father would be okay and his father wasn't responsible. He had had a- strange but positive interaction with the Deputy Headmistress.

So, it was good news, and he shouldn't let one little thing bother him. Potter was with them. Because Potter was practically their seventh son. The boy who they had all obviously hoped would marry Ginny to him officially one of them. But now that wouldn't happen, not unless Draco died first.

Stupid, bloody ancestors.

Why couldn't he have been born into a different family?

*****Ginny*****

Ginny tucked away the gift from Draco to open later. Tonks had given her wiggling eyebrows when she'd delivered it- which was quite a sight to see on a metamorphmagus. Draco had already gotten her the snitch, he wasn't supposed to get her anything else, but Ginny wasn't even surprised.

And they'd be seeing their dad again today, and he was supposed to be doing much better. And she'd probably see Bill too. And if she was really lucky, maybe Bill and Tonks could spend some time together. Sure, he was seeing Fleur now- last Ginny had heard anyway- but relationships didn't always last, and Tonks would be an excellent older sister.

Ginny was quite possibly going to be the first Weasley child married- how strange was that? Bill was how many years older than her? Almost eleven. He'd already been in Hogwarts before Ginny had any memories- actually, Charlie had been too- and he wasn't marrying anyone either.

Really, one of those boys needed to hurry up. And it had to be holiday giddiness and her father getting healthier that was making her think like that.

*****Draco*****

Christmas at Hogwarts was a dull, lonely time. But it was still better than home when Tom could show up for Christmas dinner. Draco thought he would probably skip to Hogwarts event.

Of all his Christmas presents, Draco smiled the most at the Fizzing Wizzbees, levitating sherbet balls. "Because I would like to meet the little boy who wanted to fly like a dragon. Happy Christmas, Ginny," her note read.

Draco hoped that she enjoyed his gift of exactly the same. Though he hadn't written much of a note. Strange how they picked the same thing. But perhaps it wasn't strange to latch onto a minute childhood detail that they had in common. It was the least expensive gift he received that Christmas, but certainly not his least favourite. As he popped a sweet into his mouth, Draco wondered if Ginny was levitating around as well.

Hunger got to him finally halfway through the afternoon.

Draco grabbed the hat that he had wondered if he'd be brave enough to deliver. He wasn't going to get food other than sweets if he didn't face either people or elves, so he might as well.

Draco tickled the pear on the appropriate portrait and was soon surrounded by welcoming house elves.

"What can we get you, sir?" an articulate elf asked.

"Something left from Christmas dinner. Turkey and gravy with potatoes if you have it," Draco requested. "And can I speak to- Dobby?" he asked, not seeing the elf around, when Draco thought the elf would stand out.

The other house elves scattered instantly, to get him food or to ignore his question.

Dobby came from under a table to stand before Draco, not looking at him. Of course he wouldn't. The creature had half-raised Draco, and Draco had done nothing nicer than telling Dobby to punish himself because Draco had thought it was funny.

"Thank you for giving me Ginny's message. Happy Christmas," he said, holding out the hat.

Dobby looked up at him, and those large eyes went wide. With trembling hands, the elf accepted the gift. It was a hat that Draco had never liked, Slytherin colours but with large flaps down to cover his ears, and strings that his mother always told him to tie under his chin, even though no one did that. Draco had made slits in the sides for the elf's large, bat-like ears, and magicked the strands together to not unravel decently well.

"You can tie the strings if you want- to make sure it stays on. I noticed that your other hats looked like they might fall off," Draco explained. "And I'm sorry for the way I treated you when you were our elf. I was young," he said, which would have been a better excuse if Draco had thought about the elf's well-being even once in the two years from the elf disappearing from the manor to Ginny Weasley mentioning him again.

The elf tucked his old hat into his shorts, shoved on Draco's hat, and launched himself at Draco, latching around his knees.

"Little master is a good wizard," the elf cried, using the name he'd called Draco when Draco was very young. And then the elf was actually crying hard before springing away.

"Dobby is serving Christmas dinner," the elf declared before swooping around and scaring as many of the other elves off as he could before presenting Draco with a heaping plate of all of Draco's favourites, not just the ones that Draco had mentioned.

So, Christmas wasn't _so_ boring and lonely.

And, success with the elf gave Draco the confidence to make another visit he had considered, which brought him first to talk to an unpleasant person.

Dolores Umbridge stared calculatedly at him, wondering blatantly what she can get out of the situation. Draco despised the fact that the woman had been a Slytherin. She probably begged the sorting hat for it. The woman had no subtlety, and just assumed that all of the Slytherins would like her, though their head of house clearly didn't.

"Hello Draco, you don't mind if I call you Draco outside of class, do you? I see your father quite often at the Ministry, or I did before taking up my position here. He speaks very highly of you, and you have been pleasant to have in class," the woman spoke, clearly without need of Draco talking back.

"Thank you for taking time out of your holiday to see me, Professor," Draco said as politely as he could manage. "I stayed at the castle over the break to study for my OWLs. I want good scores so I can be well positioned to enter the Ministry in two years, of course," he added because she'd want to hear it. "But I know Mother would be disappointed if she didn't get to see me today, so I thought I would visit home for a few hours, if you would allow me the use of your floo, Professor," he asked.

"Oh, I would never mind doing a favour for a Malfoy. We old families need to stick together, after all," she said sickeningly sweetly. Umbridge certainly wasn't a name in the sacred twenty-eight like Malfoy and Black were- or Weasley was, actually. Draco hadn't bothered learning the rest of the woman's heritage. Which a year ago would have been something he would have done to feel superior to the woman who was an irritation in his life. "I am curious why you didn't go to your Head of House, Draco," she said.

Because Severus Snape _actually_ _talked_ to Draco's parents, and they listened to what he said.

"My esteemed Head of House is not the most cordial person to visit, as you might have experienced. The holidays do not improve his demeanor," Draco said, and he could tell that Umbridge appreciated it from her creepy smile. She didn't like Snape, after his dislike for the woman had become publicly apparent when she monitored his class.

"Yes, I understand that. We'll just keep this between us then, won't we, dear? I shall be here for the next three hours, will that be sufficient for your visit?" she asked. Easy. Especially if Umbridge never mentioned it to Draco's father, because Draco had no intention of staying at the Manor long enough to see anyone.

Draco nodded. He hoped Umbridge wouldn't ask for much of a favour in return later. Of course, she was foolish not to negotiate something before she granted his request. And, there was some likelihood that the woman would be dead or institutionalized by the end of the year, given the history of her position.

"Malfoy Manor, East Wing," Draco called.

Draco didn't even leave the fireplace of his sitting room, but dropped a bit more floo powder to be safe. "St. Mungo's," he said.

A/N: 'Why couldn't he have been born into a different family?' Not something I expected to write for a fifteen-year-old Draco Malfoy. Sixteen or seventeen, probably. It's been a rough few months. He's confused and angry


	8. Back to Hogwarts

Chapter 8- Back to Hogwarts

*****Draco*****

The second day of term, and the world is told that ten Death Eaters have escaped from Azkaban, including an aunt and uncle that Draco could not remember ever meeting. In fact, it was his aunt and nine wizards. Did that say something about Tom or about witches and wizards? Draco's mother had never taken the mark, nor had she been encouraged to do so, as far as Draco knew. Or perhaps most of Tom's female followers escaped imprisonment. And the Prophet was saying that the escape was probably orchestrated by Sirius Black, another relative of Draco's whom no one discussed.

The next day brought the most limiting Educational Decree yet, that teachers couldn't share any information with students outside of course material. Had the Order done something, Draco wondered? He didn't want to ask Ginny just to hear her probably lie. As if it would stop Heads of Houses from talking to their students. Even Snape would serve as mentor for his students when needed, and he was easily the least approachable Head of House. The new decree probably had something to do with Potter; the woman was obsessed.

*****Ginny*****

Christmas had been good, all things considered. Lockheart, Ginny would always hate that man. If he'd been the great man he'd claimed to be, there never would have been any troubles her first year. Instead, he had almost prevented her from being saved. It was a time of her life that came up far too often and unpleasantly. And seeing Neville and his parents had made her so sad. Neville was one of the nicest people she had ever met, and for him to go through that…

Ginny was glad she had saved Draco's present to open afterwards, though it was a more literal pick-me-up than she had expected. Fizzing Whizbees. She had a funny idea of the two of them floating around a room on the seventh floor together, laughing. Silly, really, especially when they could just go flying- though Ginny would have to use Ron's old broom then- unless they shared Draco's... And there was something so… cute about the gift, and that they'd thought of the same thing.

The second term started even less promising than the first one of her fourth year. For one, Ginny saw Umbridge almost twice as often because the woman was "overseeing" all of Hagrid's classes now. Ginny's classes had never been inspected before- when nearly all of Ron's classes had been, which made Ginny think that Umbridge was more interested in Harry than in the teachers.

But now, true to her word, Umbitch was hovering through all Care of Magical Creatures classes, and apparently Divination classes too. How did she have time? It was like the woman had a Time Turner, but wasn't that close to the worst thing Ginny could imagine?

Quidditch was good, even if everyone would rather Harry still be on the team instead of her.

Draco was pretty good company too. Sometimes they talked, and sometimes they didn't. Both were enjoyable.

"You okay?" Draco asked her when she stepped into 'their' room the first time after break.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she answered. And then they didn't talk the rest of the time. They were way better together at snogging than she had been with Michael. And she didn't mind a little hand wandering.

"You okay?" he asked again on their second such meeting.

"If I say yes, are we just going to snog for the next hour?" she asked.

"We don't have to," Draco said, looking at his feet.

"Not that I wouldn't enjoy that," Ginny said, and she did enjoy Draco's grin.

"I went to St. Mungo's," Draco declared. "Did you know?"

"No," Ginny answered, wondering how he even got out of the school, not to mention why he'd go.

"I spoke to your father," he said.

"Really?" Ginny asked. Though it made sense that that was why he mentioned it.

"I asked his permission to take you on a proper date, for Valentine's Day, if you want to go," Draco informed her.

"And he said?" Ginny asked curiously.

 _*****Draco*****_

 _Draco stared at the middle-aged redheaded man as Draco walked across the Dai Llewellyn Ward for creature-induced injuries. He hadn't thought it would be difficult to covertly navigate the hospital, especially only as far as the first floor on a holiday when the building was likely understaffed, but he was not so lucky._

 _Draco was stopped by a young healer's assistant, "Can I help you find someone, young man?" she asked._

 _Draco didn't even look lost, he was sure._

" _Just visiting family," he said casually._

" _Oh? Normal visiting hours are over, but I can take you there this once. Who are you here to see?" she asked._

" _Not exactly family. Mr. Weasley, here for a creature bite. You see-" what should he tell the nosy witch?_

 _Further comment was evidently not needed. "Ooh, I thought so!" she squealed. "I read all about the two of you. So tragic, but it could be so romantic in the end, I think. She's a pretty girl, with that vibrant hair, don't you think? I'm sorry she'd not still here, but it's so cute of you to be concerned for her father. Your future father-in-law," the witch prattled on. She couldn't have been much out of Hogwarts, but Draco didn't recognize her. Probably a Hufflepuff, possibly a Gryffindor._

" _Here you go, don't stay too long," the witch warned. Mr. Weasley looked skeptical._

" _And what is Draco Malfoy doing at St Mungo's?" Ginny's father asked when they were mostly alone. There was an unconscious man, and another bed with curtains drawn._

" _I thought Ginny might be here," Draco said, which was only half a lie. Though Draco had only terrible plans of what he would say if she were. Especially because that would mean that the entire Weasley clan was present, along with Potter and probably Granger._

 _Mr. Weasley raised an eyebrow and sat up straighter until he winced, "She was here earlier. I will let her know you stopped by," he said._

" _No, you don't have to," Draco replied, making the injured man more curious. "Are you- feeling any better? Has Professor Snape-?" Draco didn't know how much he could say._

" _I am considerably improved, largely just waiting at this point, we think," he said critically._

" _That's good," Draco said. It was stupid to come, stupid._

" _And you came here personally why? I believe Ginny has already stayed in contact?" he pried._

" _Ginny and I have been getting along well in the last months," Draco said calmly. "And though we already have a marriage contract in place, I thought it… proper to ask for your permission to court her officially," Draco said. It was what he would have been expected to do before this point if his parents had still been negotiating with the Greengrass Family, or any other._

" _From what I hear from my boys, you are well past that. I haven't gotten so many letters since the boys were first years. None from Ginny though," he commented, staring at Draco. Because it wasn't any of the man's business what they did._

" _You can ask Ginny what she thinks," Draco pointed out._

" _I have," he said before changing the subject. "I've never gotten along with your father. We have very different views on… nearly everything," Arthur Weasley said._

" _Yes, sir," Draco replied, because it was the politest thing he could think of to say._

" _Do you think you're too good for my daughter, Draco Malfoy?" the man asked._

" _No, sir," Draco answered honestly. It would have been a lie not long ago, even after their first snog._

" _And why is that?" the man pressed. He wasn't intimidating physically just… Draco thought that this man was the type of parent that the worst thing a child could do was make their father disappointed. Draco wasn't sure what he was afraid his own father would do._

" _Because Ginny's clever and talented, and enjoyable to spend time with," Draco answered carefully. 'Attractive' didn't seem like a good thing to say._

" _Do you think you are good enough for my daughter?" he asked._

 _And who was_ he _to question Draco? "Does it really matter? I don't intend to die in the next two and a half years, so we both figure that we must make the best of it. Hating each other or wishing it away wouldn't be productive," Draco said neutrally. Or perhaps the man still had faith in the great Dumbledore to fix it. Draco hadn't known any Slytherin to have faith in Dumbldore ever. The few who had been neutral on the man in Draco's year hadn't been after their first end of year feast._

" _I have two conditions; will you hear them?" Ginny's father said._

" _Yes, sir," Draco answered, though he didn't like the man very much at this point. Wasn't it a Slytherin trait to make demands in exchange? As long as Draco wasn't taking any vows, he'd agree._

" _I won't have my daughter married to a Death Eater, and I won't have her going anywhere near_ Him _because of you," the older wizard said. The man in St. Mungo's from a bite from the Dar- from Tom's snake probably knew a lot more about what was happening than Draco did._

" _I don't intend to make that a problem," Draco answered. They were in a public place, for Merlin's sake! Even the Boy-Who-Lived and Albus Dumbledore had been publicly denounced for proclaiming Tom's return._

" _Good. And my second condition is that you have no... sex until you're much- until you're married," the man said red in the face. "My little girl is only fourteen. Don't think we didn't notice that in the contract, young man," he chastised as if Draco had had any say in the archaic text._

" _I would never pressure Ginny into anything physical," Draco said uncomfortably._

" _That isn't what I asked for," Mr. Weasley pointed out._

" _Yes sir, I understand," Draco said, and the wizard nodded. It wasn't exactly a promise, but Draco really didn't think that they would do anything close to that, would they? Not soon, at least. And did the man actually think Ginny would instigate something like that if Draco didn't? Maybe one day._

" _And you'll do your best to give my baby girl a happy life? And I don't want my grandchildren prejudiced against muggles or muggleborns," Mr. Weasley piled on. "And I don't want to hear of you starting any more incidents with my children, and I will ask them to do the same," he said, which was really a larger ask than any of the others- maybe. Did Potter and Granger count? At least he hadn't outright said that he blamed Draco for the boy's suspension,_ Gryffindors _, all of them._

" _Yes, sir, I understand," Draco said again. "I'll do my best," he added. Even if all that should count as five or more things, and the last wouldn't likely happen._

" _Then you have my permission to court my daughter, if she agrees. Though I do suggest you leave before my wife returns," the man warned. Draco didn't wish to find out why._

*****Ginny*****

"He said yes eventually. Would you like to?" Draco asked. There was a shock, her father saying yes to Draco asking her out, even if he didn't have much of a choice in his daughter's future. And Draco asking her father in the first place. But he did know all the proper things.

"Define a proper date- like Madame Puddifoot's?" she asked.

Draco shrugged, "There isn't anywhere nicer in Hogsmeade. We could sneak off to Diagon Alley if you wanted," smiling broadly. That was- something.

"Madame Pudifoot's sounds nice," she said. She had been there with Michael- not that she would bring that up- and it was a bit over the top in cheesy decorations for some people… but she liked it. "Umbridge will get me expelled if I break a rule as big as that, and I don't really see the reason," Ginny said. "And who did you get to let you leave the school to go to St. Mungo's anyway? Snape?" she asked, trying to picture Draco asking Snape if he could go see Arthur Weasley.

Draco shivered, "Umbridge, but she thought I was going home. And I still had to listen to her going on for too long."

Ginny laughed. Then she decided that she really could use a snog. And not because he followed some archaic principle of asking for a father's permission to court her, because she was pretty sure that permission was supposed to come before they were making out so… physically.

When Draco played quidditch against Ravenclaw, Ginny found herself hoping Draco would win. She watched Draco more than Chang, even though Ginny would have to fly against Cho and not Draco, because she was certain that Harry would be back before next November.

When Draco did make the catch, every Gryffindor must have glared at her when she gave a cheer. They could just mind their own business. It wasn't like she was supporting any team over Gryffindor. And really, Slytherin winning was better for Gryffindor, because Ravenclaw was ahead on points. So really, they should be happy too. And if Ravenclaw had gotten the snitch, the Ravenclaws would have been up by a lot, because their chasers were a bit better than Slytherin's, even if Slytherins fouled more often.

*****Draco*****

Sitting in that woman's class was the most infuriating thing, Draco actually preferred the crazy man from the year before who had tortured Draco. But at least he'd learned something. Sure, the man had repeatedly put him under the Imperius Curse, but Draco had done better at resisting by the end, perhaps from the beginnings of Occlumency that Mother had taught him. Now Umbridge smiled at Draco as if they were friends just because he'd used her to get something once. She clearly didn't belong in Slytherin.

It was bad enough that Hogwarts didn't teach the Dark Arts, but now students couldn't even learn to protect against them. Though… Draco had some thoughts now that some things shouldn't be taught. But, he still wouldn't need to know defence, and even Binns was a better teacher than Umbridge, or at least less revolting. Binns didn't make giant wars any more interesting than goblin wars had been, but at least he wasn't actively trying to sabotage their learning process.

Creatures had been his favourite class last term, what he had always hoped for out of the class without the unqualified ex-Gryffindor half-giant trying to kill them with his abominations. Draco might, grudgingly believe that Hagid's lesson's were more interesting Grubbly-Plank's, but interest didn't need to overrule safety, structure, logical and fair student evaluation practices. And, the man- if you could call him that- was now on probation with Umbridge, which actually made Draco like the half-giant more in protest. Thestrals had been a fascinating and potentially useful lesson, even if the creatures were… unsettling.

"Are you okay?" Draco had quietly asked Theo as they had walked back to the castle after that lesson.

"I'm fine," Nott replied without emotion, but he walked faster. Draco wasn't surprised that Theo could see the creatures, but was surprised that the other boy had admitted it. Longbottom and Potter could see them too, obviously Potter from Diggory. How many more students could see them? Draco had never questioned the horseless carriages before but now they seemed... sad. Ginny's friend Lovegood would be able to see them, he thought. She was like Theo.

Theo didn't talk that much, but he never did, and that hadn't bothered Draco before. Crabbe and Goyle didn't say much either, and even less that was worth listening to.

Blaize did his own thing, mostly talking to older girls in their house. Much of Draco's time had previously been occupied by listening to Pansy's drivel, which had been boring except when it was praising Draco. And Draco didn't want her to talk to him again, but it did make for a lot of empty time when he wasn't doing classwork, quidditch, eating, or talking to Ginny. And during a fair amount of that time, he was thinking about what he might say to Ginny, or what he might want to do to her- with her.

*****Ginny*****

Angelina had gotten it into her head that the Saturday before Valentine's Day was a great time for practice, when nearly everyone old enough to go to Hogsmeade wanted to be doing so. Really, even people without dates still wanted to enjoy the break from Hogwarts and everything that had been happening at the castle. They didn't often get the chance to be so far away from Umbridge. And, Ginny had a date with Draco, and she didn't want to have to pick either the team or him.

"George, my second favourite brother," Ginny greeted, sitting at the table with both of her twin older brothers.

"Yes, oh favourite sister?" George replied.

"Oh, and what am I?" Fred demanded of Ginny at the same time.

"Not the person who I think will help me here," Ginny replied.

"And what are you wanting, my child?" George asked with a fake air of sophistication.

"You like Angelina," Ginny stated boldly, causing George and Fred to both look around wildly. Anyone who thought the twins were sneaky hadn't really spent time with them. Ginny was the sneakiest Weasley.

"And what would make you think _I think_ that about our esteemed quidditch captain?" George asked. "Fred was the one who took her to the Yule Ball last year, or can you not tell your own brothers apart?" he asked, mocking hurt.

"I'm not a child. I see a lot of things. And you are pretty obvious right now. You should ask her out. For Valentine's Day to Hogsmeade," Ginny said firmly.

"And this wouldn't happen to have anything to do with our captain's plan to have practice at the castle on that day, would it?" Fred asked. "Does Ginny have a date with a certain blond rat? Or maybe ferret?"

"Oh yeah, mocking a person for the time that he was assaulted by a Death Eater masquerading as our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor _really_ gives you the high ground," Ginny snapped back. Fred did look abashed for it. "And yes, I just happen to have a proper date with Draco next week, one that he went to St. Mungo's over the holiday and asked dad permission for, in fact," Ginny recounted to the shocked looks of her brothers. "And yeah, I want that day to go smoothly without me ditching quidditch practice. But also, I think Angelina likes you and would be flattered and go with you, and _I_ think she needs a break," Ginny announced. "And don't go to Madame Puddifoot's," she warned.

George made a face, "Wouldn't set foot in the place," he complained.

Ginny left with a smile, confident that that was taken care of. Sure enough, that practiced was postponed until the next evening, and Angelina and George sat together at dinner. Though, perhaps Ginny should have tried to get out of practice just for herself, because it would have been nice if all her brothers still at Hogwarts were occupied there.

*****Ginny*****

Madame Puddifoot's was every tacky, gooshy thing that Ginny loved. And even though they'd recently had breakfast, Draco didn't object when Ginny led them right there. There was the normal amount of pink and frilliness, there were also little golden cherubs throwing bits and sparkles around. They both ordered tea. Draco didn't comment on the large amount of milk and sugar she put in hers. Draco didn't use either, but squeezed two lemon slices into it instead. The Weasleys didn't even usually have lemons in the house.

"OWL preparations going well?" Ginny asked.

"I think so," Draco answered.

"Can I have your revision notes when you're done?" Ginny ventured. "We do have all the same classes, after all."

Draco smirked, "Don't you have a multitude of family you could ask?" he pointed out. "Or better, _Granger_?"

"Bill's brilliant, but not one to keep that sort of thing, and if he did, they didn't make it past Charlie. Charlie probably never made notes, except maybe for Creatures and Charms, but he was good enough at what he liked. Percy- you know this issue there," she said. Because they'd actually talked a lot, even about some family stuff. And even before the fight, none of the Weasley children would have asked Percy for notes. "The twins didn't care enough to pass anything that they didn't know would help them with their joke shop. Ron- not to mock him in front of you because you do it too much already, but I wouldn't use Ron's notes. They'd just be a bad version of Hermione's. And I probably will get Hermione's, but honestly sometimes hers are so long, I might as well just reread the textbooks," Ginny complained at length. Draco would enjoy all of that so much that he'd agree to let her borrow his

"I'll make you a copy when I'm done. I can get them to you before the end of term. Unless you want to wait for my results?" he challenged.

"Oh, you'll do fine," Ginny brushed off. "And flag someone down. I want a crêpe," Ginny instructed. "Breakfast was much better when the Beauxbatons students were here. I should probably just go to the kitchen and make a request, but I only think about it when I'm half-awake in the morning and don't want to."

Ginny enjoyed the treat she had shortly, more lavash that what should be called breakfast, especially after the strawberries and chocolate. She even magnanimously offered Draco to try some of the food that he was paying for, and he did.

"Do you have anything specific you would like to do today?" Draco asked.

"Oh, the usual is good," Ginny said easily. "Though I would like to stop by Scrivenshaft's and get some ink that isn't black. You've got some chocolate on your lips," Ginny said, which was going to be her smooth line before leaning over to kiss him. But, he wasn't even looking at her, but rather off over her shoulder.

What now? Ginny could tell from Draco's expression when someone he didn't want to see walked in. Pansy was her first thought, the girl he'd sort of dated. Or maybe one of Ginny's older brothers, because that would be awkward.

No, it was Harry Potter, which was apparently worse. And Cho Chang. Ginny really hoped she beat the girl to the snitch when they played in a few months. Of course, Ginny had to worry about whatever his name was, Taylor, who the Hufflepuff team got to replace Cedric first, and in only a week. Who/Whom? Hermione would correct Ginny on those things, but Mum had never been picky. Cedric who had dated Cho Chang last year and was now dead because of Tom. This was not what she wanted to be thinking about while celebrating Valentine's Day- with Draco Malfoy, son of a Death Eater, whom she'd have to marry because of her stupid ancestors, but she wasn't acting upset by that anymore- she wasn't actively upset most of the time- in fact, she wanted to kiss him in public today- which was a big move for them. Why were there not more places for couples to go in Hogsmeade? Surely there was plenty of running into exes every year? She was glad not to see Michael Corner around, but it was still early, so it could always get worse. And Harry would hate this place, worse than Draco by far. And now Draco was going to be distracted away from her just watching Harry. Thought spiral.

Ginny grabbed Draco's hand and he looked back at her. Sometimes hand holding felt more intimate than snogging. "We can leave if you want. But I wouldn't even _want_ to be here with him. In case that's what's bothering you." She could hardly believe that she wanted to be here with Draco Malfoy, but she wasn't still pining Harry, really. Even though she liked Cho Chang even less for it.

"I'm okay," he said, looking at their hands, and then back at her. "So, are you ready to beat Hufflepuff?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Ginny answered. She wished Harry was able to teach her some things. Sure, Umbridge could ban him from games, but could she really take his broomstick and say he couldn't fly at all? She didn't want to mention any of that to Draco. "Seekers have some cool moves, I suppose. Not as good as chaser cooperation, of course," she said.

Draco made a little 'tsk' noise. "You're a seeker right now, you have to embrace that first, no matter what you might be next year. Teamwork is just what people point to when they know they're not the most important player on the field. How often does a chaser score a hundred fifty points? And they can never end the game like a seeker," Draco shot back, but he was smiling, and looking at her. Maybe he'd still get kissed, despite what his stupid mouth said.

"Well, Slytherin certainly needs beater teamwork to not get yourself killed out there. Crabbe and Goyle are clearly sub par. I was actually worried about your safety a few times last match," she said.

"Really?" he smiled. "And I never said beaters weren't important. They protect the most vital player on the team. And Crabbe and Goyle are awful, but not everyone is from a family big enough to field two teams," Draco gave a weak sneer. His eyes darted away and returned back to her. Ginny didn't have to be able to see to know why.

Cho's voice was audible in the whole little place now, "I thought- I thought you'd u-u-understand," she stuttered accusingly.

Ginny tried to keep speaking, "You've used that one before, and I think you're under the impression that it's an insult, but it's just not," Ginny said.

"I need to talk about it! Surely you n-need to talk about it t-too?" Cho kept crying. Ginny wasn't sure who she felt worse for, Harry or Cho, but did they really need to make a scene?

Harry said something that was at least quiet enough that Ginny couldn't hear.

"Oh, you'll talk to Hermione Granger, but you won't talk to me!" Chang shrieked. Harry clearly said one of the stupidest things he could- that he'd already talked about his problems to another girl. "P-perhaps it would be best if we just… just p-paid and you went and met up with Hermione G-Granger, like you obviously want to!" she near-screamed.

"Should we just leave?" Ginny asked? Cho was still shrieking. Ginny turned to look finally.

"Damn Potter," Draco muttered. "Not going to ruin my damned date," he growled.

"Cho!" Harry yelled after the pretty sixth year who had finally left dramatically.

Ginny was not going to make a scene like some people just had. "So it's a _damned_ date, is it?" she challenged quietly. "It seemed to me like you worked hard to get this date, and you should still feel lucky that I accepted," she said. Draco looked scared. "Even if I was mad, no way I would run out into that rain. Though we should have gone somewhere with butterbeer, or something stronger."

Draco gave a near-snort, "I'd like to see you drunk."

"Not a very romantic pick-up line, Malfoy," Ginny corrected. The closest she'd gotten to drunk had been with the Malfoy family. And now she didn't as much want to kiss him on the mouth in public.

"Yeah, well, you're already stuck with me," he said, earning one of her glares, "Sorry," he said.

"Stupid Harry," Ginny groused. "Do you know any water repelling charms?" she asked, looking at the rain. Anything to get out of here.

Draco fished out enough coins to leave on the table. "I know drying charms for after," he offered.

"Good enough," Ginny decided. "Scrivenshaft's, then," she stated rather than asked. It was one of the least date-like places in Hogsmeade. And maybe she'd go back to the castle early because of the rain.

*****Draco*****

Damned Potter, ruining everyone's time. Draco couldn't even properly enjoy that Potter had been so humiliatingly dumped, because now Ginny was in a mood. Draco bought her seven different colours of ink, but she just shrugged. She said she didn't want anything at Honeydukes.

When they walked into the Three Broomsticks, Draco looked around and saw that Potter was there too. With Granger, Weasley, and- Rita Skeeter at the same table? Everyone could see them.

"Do you want to leave?" Draco asked, jerking his head in the offending direction.

"Fine, Ginny said, walking back out into the rain before they'd even bothered with drying charms. "Hog's Head," she called, walking faster.

Ginny led Draco in one of the Hogsmeade establishments that Draco had never wished to visit before. The place was filthy. There were only two patrons in the place, and Draco chose not to stare at either strange-looking wizard. The barkeep was absently scrubbing by hand at a filthy glass. As Draco cast drying charms on them, he really considered some cleaning charms on the place just to make his short visit less unpleasant. And he wasn't even very good at cleaning charms.

"Oh, and there's no privacy here," Ginny mentioned. "Anything we say will probably get back to someone," she shrugged.

"Two butterbeers," Draco ordered.

"Coward," Ginny said, but she was smiling a bit again.

The old man thumped two glasses of questionable cleanliness on the counter and bent over again.

"Tergeo," Draco whispered, and the glasses looked somewhat better. Was the man even a wizard? The old man frowned as he served them, and Draco led them to the table that looked the least filthy. "And why have you been here before?" Draco asked in an undertone.

Ginny shrugged, "Curiosity. I go a lot of places." Of course, she did. Because she somehow knew more about the world than he did, despite being younger and a Weasley. And now she was acting annoyed at him, and it was his stupid problem. Maybe he would risk ordering a firewhiskey after all.

A/N: In 1996, Valentine's day was on a Wednesday, and I stick roughly to a calendar most of the time, unless it's more canon important, and it didn't seem to be here. I almost didn't include the St. Mungo's scene, but decided on it.


	9. Dinner and Games

Chapter 9- Dinner and Games

*****Draco*****

Draco had messed up Saturday pretty well, caring too much what Potter was up to. Of course, it had pleased him that Potter had a girl running off crying, but the idiot boy didn't have to make such a scene of it. It didn't help that… as well as things had been going with him and Ginny in general, he still wasn't sure that she wouldn't rather been in Madame Puddifoot's with Potter- if it weren't for the horrible pain and permanent damage that her snogging Potter would cause. But Draco didn't want to win a girl like that, even Ginny Weasley.

"Dobby?" Draco called into the kitchen, busy even though dinner was long over.

"Little Master, sir has come to visit Dobby!" the elf squealed.

"I'm not your master anymore, Dobby," Draco pointed out uncomfortably. It was also a childish name that he hadn't minded before Hogwarts, but he was fifteen now.

"Dobby is knowing. Is you needing Dobby's help, Little Master?" Dobby asked anyway.

"Yeah, if you can. I don't want to get you in trouble. But, Wednesday night, instead of dinner, I wanted to surprise Ginny with a private dinner for Valentine's day. Up on the seventh floor, I guess, because it's too cold outside," Draco shrugged. By the lake seemed like the most romantic spot, but it wouldn't be great in the middle of February.

"Oh oh!" Dobby squeaked, "Dobby is knowing the perfect place! Dobby is taking care of everything and showing Little Master tomorrow!" he declared. "His Weazy is loving it, sir!"

"You- should probably call her Ginny. And- what do I owe you, Dobby, for your time?" Draco asked.

"No money!" Dobby declared. "Dobby is wanting to do it! Dobby is busy now," he added, shooing Draco out of the kitchens. He was a strange little elf.

The next day, Draco swore to never underestimate a house elf again.

The castle had a room that would become _anything you wanted_. The Come and Go Room, Dobby called it.

Dobby set the place up for a private dinner, and it reminded Draco a bit of the common room mixed with the Manor's dining room, but smaller and more inviting than either, and less green. It was surprisingly elegant, considering the strange assortment of colours that Dobby chose to wear himself- though it now always seemed to include Draco's old Slytherin hat with holes for ears.

And, Dobby showed Draco how to change the room himself too, amazing. The place had such potential. It was almost all too easy, but Draco hoped Ginny would be impressed with him anyway, even if Dobby technically deserved most of the credit. And Draco was grateful that the elf forgave easily.

*****Ginny*****

"You know I wouldn't shove you down the stairs," Draco laughed as he led her by the hand while she was blindfolded. Any of her brothers would completely overreact if they saw her trusting a Malfoy like this, but it wasn't like he could hurt her- or would want to. But it didn't mean she was comfortable with it. She'd grown up with too many older brothers to be too trusting, maybe.

"Well it really better had be a nice dinner, not a prank, or I'll plan a hundred years of marriage to make you regret it," Ginny reminded him.

Ginny wasn't sure why it had to be so secret on the walk, when he was obviously leading her to the room on the seventh floor they often snogged in. Ginny hoped he had managed to sneak real dinner from the kitchens, and not just planned on them eating chocolate and snogging.

"Just a second," Draco cautioned, "And I'll show you how I did it after dinner," he said. "Just through this door," he coaxed, leading her with both hands now, and closing the door behind them. Draco pulled the blindfold away. "Do you like it?" he asked immediately.

It was gorgeous, reminding her of the Malfoy dining room, but smaller and more comfortable, with an elegant table big enough for maybe four instead of twenty, and couches and a fireplace over to the side. It was bigger than the room they usually talked and snogged in, bigger than any random room she'd seen in Hogwarts except-

Draco Malfoy had just taken her to the Room of Requirement.

Luckily, surprise wasn't a weird expression right now. "It's unbelievable," she said. "Beautiful. How did you manage it?" she asked.

"Dobby did a lot of it really. I'll show you the trick before we leave. Dinner?" he asked, pulling out a chair for her. And she did see quite a few of her favourites already on the table. It was sweet that he had come to be on good terms with the strange little elf.

"Well, it looks lovely," Ginny said, sitting down. He didn't have to do anything, he'd already taken her to Hogsmeade. It wasn't his fault that their trip was… it wasn't really ruined, it was just uncomfortable.

The two of them worked as a… whatever they were… easily in a room by themselves. When other people were around- especially Harry or any Weasleys… it all just seemed impossible. A Weasley and a Malfoy couldn't stand being in the same room together, much less have an amicable marriage. But when she saw Draco watching her, hoping she liked everything, it didn't _feel_ crazy. "And it tastes delicious," she added after her first bite. Draco smiled broadly.

"Yeah, the room's great. He calls it the Come and Go Room, and it seems like it would be a pretty comfortable place to be sometimes, yeah? It can make whatever we ask it. I've tested it out a bit and gotten better at it. You have to think really specific thoughts, but I made it look like the prefect's bath, or my bedroom at home, anything. I don't know where everything comes from, but I didn't have trouble taking things out of the room either. Though it wasn't for long, and I brought it back, because then I wondered if it was stolen from someone when I found books that I'm pretty sure are from the library, and I checked and the library copy was missing, but it could have been a coincidence, because it's definitely made other things for me that I can't find anywhere in Hogwarts," Draco detailed excitedly. "So, I think it finds what it can and makes what it can't."

"That's fascinating," Ginny said. Draco had explored the room way more than any of the rest of them had- or at least more than anyone Ginny knew had. A prefects' bathroom did have potential.

Those baths were big enough to swim in, and there wasn't even the chance of being caught using the place as a fourth year- because of course she'd managed to get into one before. This room could do even better anyway, she imagined. But if anyone from the DA saw her leaving with Draco, they might think she'd told him everything. And it would be even worse if Draco tried to use the room during a DA meeting. The room protected against that, right?

"Can anyone get in while we're in here?" Ginny asked.

"Dobby said we'd be hidden, but I haven't tested it with anyone else," Draco said. "We can try after this," he offered. "And you can have a turn making the room whatever you wanted."

"Do you think it can make a quidditch pitch?" Ginny asked.

"We won't know until we try," Draco shrugged.

Quidditch, the other thing that occupied her time when she was trying to not think about classes. Her first game was only three days away, and Ron was getting worse the closer they got to it. Which put a lot more pressure on her to get a quick catch.

And she should just be enjoying this really awesome date that Draco put together for her. And he was friendly with Dobby, even though he was Draco Malfoy, of the family who had made the weird little elf miserable.

Ginny was glad that she could be genuinely surprised at everything that the room did. For instance, it made brooms appear that Draco could tell was his and another member of the Slytherin team's, but it also made about half a quidditch pitch, but with hoops shorter than the ones outside, and Ginny didn't think they were the same anyway. It was a very nice second Valentine's Day.

*****Draco*****

Was it too much to hope for Ginny to catch the snitch, but her brother to have let so many quaffles in that it didn't matter and Gryffindor would have no chance at the Cup?

And certain more observant members of his house had been looking at him ever since Ginny stepped onto the field, and he knew it was because of the Nimbus 2001 she rode. Something else he'd have to ignore and hope no one else made an ordeal over. And all of that was far too much hoping for Draco Malfoy.

But in the first ten minutes of the game, it seemed like Weasley was trying to give Draco exactly that. The Gryffindor chasers looked decent, but Weasley let in almost everything that a Hufflepuff chaser threw out. He was allowing almost a goal a minute, and the rest of the team couldn't keep up. Was Weasley less abysmal in practice? Surely there was someone in the house who could stop a quaffle. And people said that Draco only made the team because of nepotism, but it seemed that either being a Weasley or being Potter's best friend had been enough for their keeper.

Ginny would get distracted watching the chasers or her youngest elder brother. And the beater twins kept one of them closer to Ginny than any of their other players. They weren't operating at their potential if they weren't trusting her as a player, when she was one of the best flyers in the school, and was plenty conscious of where the bludgers were. And the Gryffindor captain should have noticed the problem and addressed it if they did this in practice.

Fortunately for Ginny, Summerby hadn't developed into any great talent in the last months. Ginny caught the snitch in the end, bringing Gryffindor to an embarrassingly narrow win, two hundred to one hundred seventy. Hufflepuff had scored seventeen goals to Gryffindor's five, in a twenty minute match. Draco hadn't even heard his song among the Hufflepuff section, though a few Slytherins had taken it up again. Despite the match not mattering much to their standing, the hatred of Gryffindor ran deeply.

If the Gryffindor captain had any sense, they'd be having keeper tryouts again the next day.

*****Draco*****

Banning the Quibbler under threat of expulsion was the surest way that every student would read Potter's article, from first year Hufflepuffs to Seventh year Slytherins. And surely everyone had to believe Potter now? Tyrannical regimes rarely tried so hard to shut out _lies_. And now Draco had the uncomfortable distinction of the entire school talking of how Potter had outed his father as a Death Eater, among other things. This was also true for Theodore, Crabbe, and Goyle, but none of them had commented to Draco, and Draco had been likewise silent. Crabbe and Goyle were of the same mindless stock as their fathers, and Draco hadn't had a real conversation with Theo in so long… And there was the threat of expulsion if Umbridge could prove he had read the thing- not that Umbridge would suspect Draco of it. She was a Death Eater sympathizer, even if... _Tom_ wouldn't want her among his people.

If Draco had been born into any other year, the majority of his dormmates wouldn't have been children of Death Eaters. Most Slytherin students worked by making connections and drawing exactly the right amount of attention to themselves to succeed at their desired level post-graduation. Was ambition supposed to be a bad thing now? Snape said at the beginning of each year that Slytherins often possessed cleverness, resourcefulness, determination, and a certain disregard for the rules. And in the rest of his speech, he instructed them that they would follow any rule that he set before any of them, regardless of blood purity or family standing.

And there was brotherhood, supposedly uniting Slytherins together because they were generally disliked by the remaining three houses. Sometimes this was even true. And in response to the Quibbler article attacking some of their own, Slytherins utilized the defence tactic of intensifying the mocking of Weasley- well, Ron Weasley. There were too many of them to not use first names sometimes. It was something that would draw attention and hurt that Gryffindor crowd without directly associating them with the families of named Death Eaters, which every other Slytherin would be careful to do, even Pansy Parkinson.

*****Ginny*****

When the whole castle was preoccupied with the Quibbler article (Luna mentioned how happy her father was with the sales, even though father and daughter didn't quite see what was so special about the piece), the Gryffindor quidditch team quietly tried one practice with Cormac McLaggen without telling Ron.

The boy was a sixth year who had approached Angelina after Gryffindor's first game, promising he could be a better keeper than Ron, and he brought it up again after the second game. Apparently, he had missed the keeper tryouts because he ate a _pound_ of doxy eggs on a bet. To show his "Gryffindor bravery." Ginny had wondered then if they wanted someone like that on their team, but… at this point, they'd try anything, and no one had been close to decent at the tryouts.

It was horrible.

McLaggen saved the first few shots, and Ginny started to wonder how Ron would take the team actually accepting his resignation.

Then the sixth year started trying to tell the Chasers how they could do their job better- which resulted in an easy shot with McLaggen more than five yards from any of the rings.

"Get back in the damn rings!" Angelina shouted. "If you think you can be a Chaser, try out next year when, thank Merlin, I'll be gone!" Ginny withheld a groan; she'd hate having to pass to McLaggen. She really wished she could get a quaffle and take a shot on him just then.

He saved… probably more shots than Ron would have, even on a good day, but he was so damned annoying. He told Ginny she wasn't putting proper effort into seeking practice- which was true, but none of his business, and it was more of a try out than a normal practice. And she'd proven herself helping them win a game already, and he wasn't even on the team. Cormac actually tried to take the beater bat away from George to 'show him how it should be done.'

Fred might have lobbed a bludger right at McLaggen just then, which caught him entirely unawares while George abandoned him and the bat. The crack on McLaggen's shoulder that signaled the end of practice was satisfying, and if he couldn't detect a speeding bludger because he was trying to wrestle the bat away from a teammate, could he really be trusted in a game? At least Ron had never had to be helped off the field.

"No one tells Ron, and we'll convince him that he can do better," Angelina declared wearily as they trekked back to the castle.

Fortunately, McLaggen's ego would keep him quiet as well. Ron would just have to be better, and next year… the team would be entirely different. Angelina, Alicia, Fred, and George were all seventh years. The Gryffindor team had been the youngest team on average when Ginny came to the school, even though they didn't have any new players. But in four years, only Oliver Wood had left.

Ginny wondered if she could tell Draco and trust him not to tell Ron in a particularly bad moment. Probably if she made him promise, he wouldn't, but it maybe wasn't worth the risk. But he would find it all hilarious though, and Ginny found herself wanting to hear his response.

*****Ginny*****

Hearing about the new centaur teacher almost made Ginny wish she was taking Divination- almost. It sounded like centaurs could legitimately predict the future, which was interesting. But could they teach humans how to do it? And even if she did think that Trelawney was a fraud, Umbridge had no right to treat the woman like that. Ginny had never been prouder to have Minerva McGonagall be her Head of House than when the woman stood up for Trelawney- even though McGonagall's dislike for the subject was well known.

Most of the girls around her age were more interested in the new teacher's appearance than his teaching methods anyway. Sure, Ginny could acknowledge that his human half was rather attractive, and his horse coat was a lovely colour, and Ginny did love horses. But surely the rest of him was too different to discourage even a theoretical crush? Sure, centaurs were at least as intelligent as humans, but the physical incompatibilities… had to be discouraging. Any man who boasted that he was "hung like a horse"... was clearly lying. And Ginny was no prude but… for Merlin's sake, he didn't wear robes, or trousers, or anything. Something she definitely wouldn't be talking to Draco about, or anyone else.

But, with Trelawney not allowed to teach anymore, how long would it be before Hagrid followed? And by putting herself up against Umbridge, McGonagall could be putting her own job in danger- which was the last thing the school needed. It was bad enough that they weren't getting any defence teaching, they didn't need to add transfiguration too. Though, Ginny was actually learning more about defending herself against the dark arts than she ever had. She was really close to a corporeal patronus, which would make her the first of her siblings- except Bill could do it, but Ginny didn't think even Charlie could.

But most importantly, anything that gave Umbitch more power over their _home_ was awful and needed to be stopped. Ginny would wager that Fred and George had a few ideas to do just that. Their inventions were getting more impressive all the time, and she hoped that they would soon be put to better use than just skipping Umbridge's class. Which reminded her that she needed to convince George or Fred to give her more of their skiving snackboxes soon.

 **A/N: The words that Draco said that Snape used to describe Slytherins were sort of a quote from Dumbledore to Harry. But, perhaps Albus got it from somewhere else… or vice versa. And I do believe that British wizards would use both pounds and yards as measurements.**


	10. Crashing Down

Chapter 10- Crashing Down

*****Ginny*****

Ginny's mare Patronus trotted around her, and Ginny laughed at the other silvery figures filling the room. Ginny liked having the largest Patronus in the room, especially when she was so much the shortest in her family. And now that the thought of it, she was the shortest member of the DA too, even little Dennis Creevey was taller now. Ginny liked Luna's hare as well.

Ginny had thought this time of all the best parts of Christmas- her mother's cooking, seeing her father healthier and laughing. The only gift that had come to her mind was levitating sherbet balls from Draco. Because she was sappy, and that had been a little piece of perfect.

Ginny noticed Dobby when he was talking to Harry about something. She knew just before it was going to happen- that the poor little elf ran straight into a wall, falling back dazed. Ginny hadn't been able to do anything but shriek. Some great reflexes she had… but Harry hadn't done any better.

"Harry Potter! She… she…" Dobby tried to explain half against his will what was happening.

Umbridge, obviously.

Ginny looked around the room. If Umbridge knew, someone probably told her. If the woman had known since October, they never would have gotten this far. The question was, who was missing? Ginny didn't know the exact count, but they'd been the same group, more or less, for months. Only Seamus had been added, but if he was going to tell on them as soon as he was recruited, surely he wouldn't have come to the meeting himself.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? RUN!" Harry shouted at the group- which probably didn't help, but he meant well.

Dobby would be the quickest way for a few of them to get out, but it would probably get the elf in more trouble with Umbitch. And Gryffindor Tower wasn't too far. Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws would have it much worse. But, it wasn't after curfew, so what bad could really happen to them as long as they didn't stay in groups?

"Luna, just go to a hallway by yourself and look lost," Ginny told Luna as they were pushing for the door. Luna would be better off than the rest of them.

*****Ginny*****

"I don't know how _everyone_ knows," Hermione complained when Harry left breakfast in a huff after yet another group badgered him for a retelling of what happened in Dumbledore's office after the DA was caught. Marietta Edgecombe was the traitor. Aurors had come and everything. And the whole school did know now.

Hermione didn't always know everything.

"Portraits," Ginny answered easily. "They always have the best gossip, and can't really do anything but talk. Usually you don't hear anything from the ones in the Headmaster's office- they usually stay put, and they can't tell Dumbledore's secret." she added at Harry's alarmed face. "But this, they spread around," Ginny shrugged.

Albus Dumbledore was gone. The last time Albus Dumbledore had been removed from Hogwarts, Ginny had found herself in the Chamber of Secrets. And she'd heard that Dumbledore had been gone when Ron, Harry, and Hermione went after the Philosopher's Stone, and Harry and Ron ended up hurt so badly. It had all rather solidified the idea that the Headmaster belonged at Hogwarts, and nothing good would come of this. She wasn't panicking. This time had been Dumbledore's calculated choice, to take the blame so Harry wouldn't. And it wasn't her fault for calling the group Dumbledore's Army. Everyone had accepted the name… and if they hadn't, Dumbledore wouldn't have had that way of preventing Harry from being expelled, which he clearly wanted. No reason to… panic.

And to have _that woman_ as the Headmistress! Ginny would not call her that, no matter what detention it meant. If Dumbledore wasn't able to do his job for some reason, Professor McGonagall was the only one who was supposed to be doing it for him!

But even with Dumbledore twisting the situation to suit him, Ginny was still half-waiting to hear that everyone who put their name on that list would be expelled. She wondered if Seamus put his name on the list when he stopped being a prat, just to be immediately punished for it. Or maybe he'd get off. Hermione said she didn't think Umbridge could expell them all, because it could be argued that it wasn't a student organization, and they were all just following their Headmaster's orders, and meetings hadn't been taking place, and they didn't know what they were doing. But the rebellious part of Ginny would rather have them all be expelled than Dumbledore leave the school, no matter what her parents thought about that.

"We need to talk," Draco's voice came from behind her.

She and Draco almost never spoke in public, aside from their Hogsmeade dates, and those seemed separate from the rest. He had never come over to the Gryffindor table, no more than she had been to the Slytherin one.

And he was clearly unhappy- when this hardly affected him at all. _He_ wasn't the one who might get expelled. _He_ didn't just lose the leader of the Order of the Phoenix being at Hogwarts- well, he wouldn't care about that. Even if he didn't _like_ Umbridge, it made his life easier that Umbridge liked him.

"Sure," Ginny said as neutrally as possible, and stood from the table, leading the way out the hall, because that way, she could pick where they talked.

*****Draco*****

"Did you show Potter that place after I took you there for Valentine's Day?" Draco demanded, when they were in a small room near the kitchens.

Ginny seemed as ready for a fight as he was, "No, I didn't! Everything isn't about you! Dobby showed Harry the room in October. And actually, Dumbledore already knew about the place. We've had meetings since the first Hogsmeade weekend last term at the Hog's Head, it's why your good friend Umbridge banned all clubs the next day!" Ginny shouted back.

Since _October_.

"Even better! Not only did you pretend not to know about the room- which is lying- but it's good to know that you never tried for us to work at all. You were ditching me on our very first _date_. You just had to be in the great Dumbledore's group. Because everyone loves the all-powerful, all-knowing _Dumbledore_. Dumbledore who doesn't care anything about anyone but his precious Gryffindors. Oh, Slytherin's celebrating winning the house cup? Better give hundreds of points to Gryffindor because precious Potter had an adventure and violated a hundred school rules! The bloody banners were already hung up and he changed them! But Dumbledore is so great that it's always safe when he's around- except it's never safe! Death Eaters as teachers and the-" he wasn't quite far enough gone to say basilisk or diary.

"-Werewolf, and dementors! Last year I got turned into a ferret and bounced around on my head by a Death Eater while a bunch of Gryffindors laughed! You're part of a little club where everyone's allowed except for Slytherins. Who's the bigot now? You have _no idea_ what it feels like for three quarters of the school to think you and anyone sorted into your house should just get chucked out of the castle because we're all evil!" he shrieked.

It was whispered often enough, they'd all heard it.

"Well if they did, then Tom wouldn't have learned magic, now would he?" Ginny shouted.

"And now you're comparing me to HIM! How the hell do you think you have the mighty high ground here, you bloody hypocrite! Maybe if everyone didn't tell him that Slytherin was the evil house, he wouldn't have been bloody evil. Or maybe he was just born evil, but the rest of us weren't!"

"You're twisting my words!" Ginny shouted back. "I didn't say I agreed," she said.

"Well, you're being an awful bitch!"

"Why are you even upset?" Ginny challenged, quietly but coldly… like she was better than him, "I can do things in my spare time. I don't know everything you do. Are you jealous that you weren't in the club? Jealous that I was spending time with Harry? I told you I don't even like him anymore, and you just don't believe me!"

"Oh, I _won't believe you_? Maybe I'm upset because you clearly don't trust me! We're supposed to be honest and all that rot. What do you call sneaking around to secret club meetings? I bet Hogsmeade wasn't the only time. Practicing spells with Luna? Really? What about the forty other people there?"

"I _was_ practicing with Luna. I didn't lie. And you didn't ask anything else, did you?" Ginny snapped.

"Oh good! At least we have some clear guidelines now! So, I can break whatever the hell rules and actual ministry laws that I want and risk expulsion, so long as you don't specifically ask me if I'm in an organization against the government!" Draco lashed back. "An army?" He- knew that Potter was in this fight… and even that her family was, but there was no way that a fourteen-year-old witch needed to be in any army.

"It's just a name, a name that I came up with, and Harry loved it. Everyone loved it. Because some people think I have good ideas!" Ginny shrieked.

"Oh yeah, and I'm going to be hearing about your good ideas for the rest of my life! If I'm lucky, that won't be long, because dying is the only way I'm going to get away from _YOU! I CAN'T WAIT!_ " Draco shouted and ran from the room, casting a spell to lock the door behind him to give him a little more time.

Because he had wanted the last word.

Because he was an angry.

And even mother would probably say he was being a petulant child.

And he was going to regret all of that soon.

Or maybe he wasn't, because she was no better.

*****Ginny*****

Ginny had thought for sure that Malfoy's Nimbus 2001 wouldn't be there for her next practice, or would certainly be gone by the next, but it was still there. And if anything, that made her feel worse. He was furious with her, but hadn't hurt her in the easiest way available to him, taking his own broom away, when no one would even blame him.

But he didn't have to go and join Umbridge's group of personal lackeys. The Inquisitorial Squad. It was all Slytherins, and most of Draco's year was in it. And he had complained that _she_ had been in a prejudiced group. And, she saw him talking with Crabbe and Goyle more again. Those two couldn't possibly have an interesting thing to say between them.

And their letters had stopped, and their private meetings too- for talking and good snogging. And if they had still been on good terms, Draco probably could have gotten further than they had been going soon. Not anything close to sex but… the Room of Requirement did have so much more potential than their old meeting room.

But now, Ginny couldn't even think of that room without feeling guilty. But what was she supposed to have done? She hadn't wanted to just _not_ learn defence, and she certainly wasn't going to learn anything from Umbridge. And she couldn't have really told Draco. How could that have possibly gone well?

The castle was awful without Dumbledore, no one with more power than Umbridge. Ginny was glad that the bitch couldn't get into Dumbledore's office at least. It made Ginny feel like the castle was on their side.

*****Draco*****

Draco wondered if he would have known that the fireworks had come from Fred and George Weasley if Ginny hadn't already told him about some of their inventions.

"Fireworks" hardly encompassed what these were, some larger than a person and moving anywhere they pleased. Stunning got rid of them… if you didn't mind endangering everything and everyone around at the time. Vanishing just made more of them. And no professors who might have been equipped to deal with the spectacle felt any motivation to do anything of the sort.

Anyone with half a brain could connect the current chaos in the castle to displeasure over Dumbledore's departure and Dolores Umbridge's appointment as Headmistress, and possibly over the Inquisitorial Squad itself. So, naturally, first years knew what was happening, but Crabbe and Goyle didn't. And yet, _those two_ were among those selected to join Umbridge's little group- along with Draco himself. Draco wasn't quite sure why he accepted. No, it was probably to spite Ginny, and possibly to dock points from Potter.

"Draco, so glad to see you have accepted my offer. Come, take a seat with the others," the woman had said.

Draco sat between Montague and Bullstrode, because there hadn't been a seat next to Crabbe or Goyle. Not that Draco needed those idiots. Warrington was on the far side of Montague, another member of the Slytherin quidditch team. Pansy had moved her chair a bit further forward than the others. She had been one of the ones who had caught Dumbledore's little club, and now probably thought she was the leader of this one. Nott leaned backwards in his chair, like he was distancing himself from all of it, but he was still there. The old man Filch was there too, lingering in the back of the room. Had Umbridge really decided that _Filch_ would be her closest ally on the staff? Probably the unpleasant squib was the only one who would tolerate her.

"As you all know, we Slytherins must stick together, because the rest of the castle does not believe our ways, even those who should know better and respect the Ministry," she scolded the non-present supposed non-believers. As if anyone in Slytherin really liked her. She certainly didn't have the support of their Head of House. And she probably picked most of Draco's year because they all hated Potter, and knew him best.

She should have at least tried for a little house diversity. No Gryffindor would have joined, but she probably could have gotten at least a few Ravenclaws trying to win her approval.

"You will, of course, be interesting in the new privileges and powers you will have under my care," she led.

This was what they really wanted.

With OWLs approaching, Easter holiday was no less work than any other time in the year. Not a single fifth year went home that Draco knew of, though few students ever left the castle over the holiday.

Every time Ginny walked into the Great Hall, she looked at the high table first, and then not again for the rest of the meal. She sat on either side of the long table, but never looked at him.

*****Ginny*****

Ginny finished with a quidditch practice that was actually decent- she'd caught the snitch plenty of times- probably thanks to the extra practice she had been getting in with the snitch Draco had gotten her as an early Christmas present… and Ron had only missed the really good shots.

"Misters and Miss Weasley," their Head of House greeted. "I am not sure how I am to give these to you without speaking to you outside of class material," she drawled almost like Snape. Everyone hated Umbridge. But our Delores informed me that these highly suspect Easter sweets have passed her new, thorough inspection process," Professor McGonagall said. Ginny admired how she bordered without quite crossing insubordination there.

"Thank you, Professor," Ginny said, reaching first for the sweets. Easter eggs from Mum were fun. Fred and George swept into elaborate bows, and the Chaser girls laughed.

Ron's egg was devoured before they even reached the tower. George split his with Angelina on their way back to the Common Room.

"Hermione, Easter egg from Mum," Ginny declared, setting the proper egg down in front of the witch surrounded by a mountain of books. "And where's Harry?" she asked.

"Oh- thank you. And- I left him in the library some time ago. I don't think he's come back," Hermione said, looking around suddenly worried.

"Won't be curfew for a while, and I could use a run by the library," Ginny invented. Mostly, she wasn't as busy as any of the fifth years studying for OWLs, and if Hermione had any _more_ worrying to do, she'd probably explode.

Ginny found Harry easily, book open but staring at nothing, and looking like somebody died.

"Hey, you okay? Package from Mum," she declared.

Harry didn't look up or respond, and no one else was around.

"Harry, I'm talking to you. Can you hear me?" she asked cautiously. She knew he was prone to… introspection, but this was an extreme.

"Huh?" he startled, looking around.

"Oh, hi. Don't you have quidditch practice?" he frowned. So he hadn't looked out a window either.

"Angelina _usually_ lets us leave when it's dark," Ginny half joked. But it was somewhat serious, and becoming a problem as the evenings grew brighter, Angelina was keeping them later. She seemed to think if Ron just got enough practice, he'd be better- or the rest of them would be good enough to compensate. And perhaps it was working. "McGonagall saw us and gave us this. Just made it through Umbridge's new inspection process. I suppose our High Inquisitor determined that Easter eggs were not subversive to the government. Anyway, here's yours," Ginny said.

She handed Harry the carefully hand-made egg decorated with snitches. It was lovely, but not a decoration she would have chosen for Harry, since he was currently unable to play the game, or even fly. Harry looked worse when he held the egg. He'd had a rough year- lots of detentions, banned from quidditch, Dumbledore gone, and his relationship going as poorly as Ginny's. That last bit was it, she imagined. Mariette was Cho's best friend.

"Are you okay, Harry?" she asked.

"'M fine," Harry grunted. But Ginny was a bit of an expert with interpreting teenage boy language.

"You know, I'm sure if you just _talked_ to Cho…" she suggested delicately.

"It's not Cho I want to talk to," Harry snapped.

"But you want to talk to someone," Ginny countered.

"I-" Harry looked around nervously- broadcasting that he had something important to say, if anyone had been watching them. "I want to talk to Sirius, but I know I can't," he said. He didn't even use the code name 'Snuffles,' and 'Sirius' was not a very common name.

So, she'd been wrong. She'd projected her own worries onto Harry. Harry wanted to talk to Sirius about something important, probably not even related to Cho, because Sirius was the closest thing Harry had ever known to a father- even if any objective eyes could tell that Sirius Black was… fun, but not father material.

"Well, if you really need to talk to Sirius," Ginny said slowly, "I imagine we could think of a way to make that happen," Ginny finished. There were ways in and out of the castle.

Harry looked skeptical, "With Umbridge monitoring the floos and searching all our post?" he asked.

"Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve," Ginny maintained. They'd already had the DA. This couldn't possibly break more rules than that.

And Harry was looking at her and smiling, in a friendly trusting way that Ginny would have given almost anything to see from him even a year ago. Now, it just made her feel guilty, and not for all the rules they'd probably break in the next few days.

"It's nearly curfew," Madame Pince warned them before shrieking, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH CHOCOLATE NEAR MY BOOKS!"

Ginny tried and failed not to laugh as the old librarian chased them out of the library. All of Harry's things followed behind them, thumping into the back of Harry's head when the witch thought Harry wasn't moving quickly enough. Ginny was formulating possible plans. Most of them started with getting help from Fred and George.

*****Draco*****

Draco perused the schedule that Snape had put up for fifth years to speak to him about their career options. Draco's appointment would be Monday late afternoon, and Draco wasn't even going to miss any classes like some of the other students. Draco chuckled when he saw that students were missing Umbridge's class, as well as History, Creatures, Divination, and Muggle Studies. Classes that Snape deemed acceptable to miss.

He hadn't enjoyed the Easter holiday, but he was still regretted that it was over. It would have been enjoyable if he had spent the warmer afternoons with Ginny. He hadn't even bothered going to Hogsmeade.

"Sit down, Draco," Professor Snape addressed late that Monday afternoon. Was that supposed to put him at ease? The man had almost exclusively called Draco 'Mr. Malfoy' since Draco had come to Hogwarts. "Have you put thought into your courses for next term?" he asked.

"I thought I would keep the core classes, except for History of Magic and Astronomy," Draco answered. Though Herbology seemed near useless as well, he did not quite want to tell that to the potions master. Draco had no interest in preparing his own ingredients.

"Assuming you perform as well on your OWLs as your regular marks, you may manage each of them," the man acknowledged. "I do suggest that if you wish to continue in Defence Against the Dark Arts, you focus on some of the practical application that will be a large component of the OWL. What of Ancient Runes?" he questioned.

"I- do not have a passion for the material and had not intended to continue," Draco worded.

His Head of House raised an eyebrow ad nodded. "So you do have a passion for your other courses? Potions? Herbology?"

"I've always liked potions," Draco answered. And it had been true since the man in front of him had given him a small pewter cauldron and child-safe ingredients when Draco was seven. Draco had preferred the racing broom from his father, of course, but potions had been interesting as well.

"And what do you intend to pursue after graduation?" Snape questioned.

"Go into the Ministry," Draco answered with far more confidence than he felt.

"Your father does have a myriad of connections. What department?" he questioned.

Draco had intended to figure out the rest of his life before this point. But that had been altered, perhaps by Ginny Weasley coming into his life, or finding out his father was truly a Death Eater, or seeing… Tom in person, or fighting with Ginny.

"I also have an interest in banking," Draco said, because that was how his father described himself sometimes. As far as Draco could tell, it meant that Lucius Malfoy enjoyed being independently wealthy and watching his money. And 'independently wealthy' was a description for someone not needing other income to be wealthy, but it was unsatisfactory in that his father was only wealthy because his grandfather and great-grandfather had been wealthy before him.

"The goblins who control our banking system have nothing more than a reluctant accord with your father, and anyone seeking a position in their midst would need further knowledge of either Ancient Runes or Arithmancy," the man informed him. Which was not what Draco had meant.

"I have interest in the department of Magical Transportation, Games and Sports, and International Cooperation," Draco spouted out, and it was mostly true, though it would probably be dull.

"International Cooperation would require more thorough knowledge of our _history_. Some students find it manageable to sit for the NEWT after independent revision," Snape said. Because Binns's class was worthless.

"I will take that under consideration," Draco promised.

"Your social activities have not gone unnoticed this year, Draco. Meetings with Miss Weasley and their discontinuation, as well as your membership to our High Inquisitor's organization," he said. No one called her the Headmistress when she wasn't around, even other teachers.

"I didn't violate any rules. And are you saying thisto your fifth year students who are part of it?" Draco dared ask.

Severus Snape sneered, "You joined _an organization_ because of your peers, and perhaps because you were angry with Miss Weasley. Is that the way you intend to live the rest of your life, Draco?"

Was this a discussion about the Inquisitorial Squad or something else? The Death Eaters? Is that why Snape joined? Because everyone around him was doing it, and maybe because he was mad at someone else? What about Draco's father?

"I'm only fifteen," Draco said. "Aren't I supposed to be receiving _career advice_ at this time?" Draco asked as plainly as he dared. What was Snape saying: 'Don't make the mistakes I did?' or was it, 'Why are you associating with Umbridge? She's going to come out poorly before the end of this year and everyone should know that.' Or even further, did he mean, 'You should do the sensible thing and become a Death Eater, and get a job based on a connection your father has, because otherwise you will have no sort of future. And you'll always fight with Miss Weasley, so get used to it and don't be an idiot about it.'

"Surely you realize that it is not so simple," Snape said. And that was the end of their conversation, because of the disturbances that could probably be heard in Hogsmeade.

The Weasley twins were doing something again. Fireworks again.

Draco ran after Professor Snape towards the origin of the noise, which didn't seem to have fireworks at all. Draco backed away when he saw Umbridge, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle all struggling on the ground of what no longer looked like a hallway, but an unpleasant piece of nature, possibly a swamp. They must have come running from the noise and slipped into it.

The sneer on Professor Snape's face didn't look as unhappy as he usually did.


	11. The Greater Fight

Chapter 11– The Greater Fight

*****Ginny*****

Ron flopped onto the couch beside her. "Ginny, your _boyfriend_ deducted _thirty points_ from Gryffindor. We'll be last for sure this year. They can't just let a bunch of Slytherins have the power to take points, when everyone knows they hate Gryffindors," Ron complained. Hermione had settled in the nearest armchair, and Harry on the far side, looking away.

"Ron, the school is being run by an evil woman, and there's a lot worse going on outside the castle, so I'm not really worried about house points. You can actively work to get rid of her like Fred and George, or you can keep your head down and try to pass your OWLs," Ginny laid out. "And since you mention Draco, we haven't spoken in weeks," Ginny said.

That made Harry look up. Ginny couldn't decide if he was just being brotherly like Ron or if the boy had decided that he like her when it was too late. Life would be so much easier and better if she could just… but she couldn't.

"Well, that's good- right?" Ron said, "He's a prat, and I never liked seeing you with him."

"Yeah, it's _really great_. My life can only be better because my future husband and I can't stand each other."

"Well, maybe you'll get lucky and he'll die young," Ron suggested.

"Ron!" Hermione chastised.

"What? We all want it to happen. I didn't say _I_ was going to go kill him. I wouldn't. I couldn't anyway, or Ginny would be a squib and stuff."

Ginny's throat felt tight. She almost wanted to say- something. That the fight was sort of mostly her fault- was it? But she still didn't really think she could do anything else. "I've got to go," Ginny said.

Hermione was looking at her concerned, sort of- older-sisterly, Ginny imagined.

Which meant Ginny would need to avoid Hermione until Hermione got the idea that Ginny didn't want to talk and gave up. Which was not the most mature thing to do. Maybe Ginny would go find Luna. Or Colin could always be relied upon to talk and talk without the need for Ginny to say anything back.

*****Ginny*****

The last quidditch game of the year, the difference between winning the cup and losing it. If there was a chance she'd never play on the quidditch team again… she'd just have to make sure that didn't happen.

"Hey, you're sure that broom isn't jinxed?" Angelina murmured to her. The other chaser girls would hear too, but at least none of her brothers.

So everyone in Gryffindor, probably the whole school knew that she and Draco were fighting. They were two well known families in a highly unusual situation, so they made the best gossip.

"Yeah, I'm sure he wouldn't do that," Ginny answered.

"Good," Angelina answered.

Minutes later, Ginny stared at Cho Chang before they were both set to take off. This would be easier if she was still irrationally angry with the pretty, older girl. It wasn't Cho's fault that her friend Edgecombe had betrayed them all. Cho Chang probably felt more alone and friendless than ever. It really wasn't Cho's fault that she was still in mourning over her dead boyfriend, and it wasn't any of Ginny's business who Harry thought was attractive, though she was pretty sure those two were over now.

Chang was the quintessential follow-the-leader seeker, and it annoyed Ginny more than she should let it. Was it flattering that the girl thought Ginny was worth following? What did she really hope to gain by it, especially when Ginny had the better broom?

*****Draco*****

Draco's glares kept everyone away from him as he watched the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw match. Or rather, as he watched Ginny Weasley ride his Nimbus 2001 and outclass an experienced seeker.

They'd talked about flying often, but they'd never flown together. Draco could have 'borrowed' a teammate's broom easily. His father had bought all of them, after all. His father might know that a Weasley was riding one of those brooms now.

Weasley wasn't doing too badly this match either. The one in the rings. The beater Weasleys seemed to have finally decided to focus on the opposing chasers instead of on protecting their little sister, which helped as well. Too many Weasleys.

After Ginny caught the snitch, it was Ron Weasley that the idiot Gryffindors hoisted onto their shoulders. They had twisted Draco's lyrics as well, to say positive things, and they weren't even singing "Weasley is our Queen." Idiots. Weasley had been competent, but only amazing in comparison to his earlier performance. Ginny had talent.

*****Ginny*****

Angelina was the first to corner her after the game. "You can now afford to be distracted, and I'm not your captain anymore," she started. "I heard you convinced George to ask me out, so you'd be able to go to Hogsmeade with Malfoy," she said.

"I- did, sorry about meddling, but you have seemed happy," Ginny said.

"We're great. So great that he gave me warning of what he's doing tonight. But, since you interfered with _my_ romantic life- it seems to me that a Slytherin who'd let a Gryffindor borrow his broomstick- isn't _really_ as much of a little shit as he acts like sometimes."

"Yeah, he's probably not," Ginny agreed reluctantly. One of them would have to apologize eventually, because it still looked like they'd be spending the rest of their lives together. And Draco hadn't said anything to her. But surely, she was allowed a little time to just enjoy the quidditch win like a normal witch? By his birthday at the latest, she decided, they would make up.

"And you will need to get a good broom by next term, because I imagine he'll need his for the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor match," Angelina said.

"I'm sure Harry's ban will be lifted by then," Ginny smiled. "You know the curse." Though the end of the year was approaching and nothing catastrophic had happened to Umbridge yet. But Angelina had said something about tonight...

"Yes, but you'll be a Chaser," Angelina dismissed easily. "Let me know when you want to practice some chaser drills," she offered.

Of the whole day, that was the highlight.

"Tomorrow morning?" Ginny suggested.

Angelina laughed, "You can ask the other girls, but not me. If George and Fred haven't forgotten about the rest of us with their big plans, then by tomorrow morning I intend to still be drunk." Ginny was excited about all of that enough to not be too miffed that she didn't know the particulars of what Fred and George had planned. But, it would be difficult to surpass their last displays.

*****Draco*****

So, Gryffindor had won yet another Quidditch Cup, and they were having a feast to celebrate. Their 'Headmistress' looked less than pleased, and had not acknowledged that it was a feast day, but the elves had prepared one anyway.

It still wouldn't put Gryffindor anywhere near being in the running for the House Cup- because several Slytherins had been given power to deduct points, and Harry Potter couldn't stop baiting Umbridge into hating him more.

But, Dumbledore could always show up on the last day, throw Umbridge in Azkaban somehow, and award a thousand points to Gryffindor if he felt like it, so Draco would not let himself care about the House Cup. It was a juvenile competition anyway.

As the last of the pudding vanished, the Weasley twins jumped up and stood on their bench.

"Thank you, thank you. We leave behind the legacy of Weasleys on the Gryffindor quidditch team in good hands," Fred said. "But it has been a great year, five out of seven members being Weasleys. Oh, excuse me, four out of seven. That must have been a prediction of the future," Fred said. The other one, George shoved him back. Half the Gryffindor table, especially two of the chasers laughed. One of the Weasley twins was dating the other Chaser, Draco guessed, the captain. "And we could still make it more!" he added.

"Sit down, Misters Weasley," Umbridge instructed after her little angry noises weren't effective.

The boys didn't just refuse to sit down, they stepped onto the long table. "And Harry, honorary Weasley. It will be good to have you back next year," George Weasley added.

"Detention for the two of you with Mr. Filch every night until the end of the year. Once more and you will be leaving this school sooner than that!" she threatened. "And Mister Potter most certainly will not be playing quidditch next year or the next!"

"Oh, just trust me about Harry. And you know, I don't believe we will be going to detention," Fred said.

"You will be expelled right now!" she declared.

"Oh, we can save you that paperwork," George assured her.

"Do you also feel that we have outgrown tradition education, George?" Fred asked.

"I believe we have, yes."

"We, it's settled then," Fred said dramatically. Draco wondered how much of their phrasing was rehearsed."

"Come visit us anytime," George called across the hall. "Except for you, Umbridge."

"If anyone cares for fireworks, a portable swamp, or any number of other items, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley, the new home for all your pranking needs, Weasleys' Wizard Weezes!" he announced.

Umbridge tried to silence them by force, but whichever twin wasn't talking handled her little spells. But she still raised her wand against students. A moment later, she was silenced herself. It showed more than anything else that year how much every other member of the staff truly despised her.

"Get your mail orders in! Special discounts for all Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old toad! We can get them around her inspection, we promise!" George added as he took something from his pocket.

"And Peeves!" Fred piped in, "Give her hell from us!" The poltergeist saluted. It seemed mischief formed alliances.

George dropped whatever he had been holding, and half the hall filled with darkness, which was an odd scene.

With a loud pop, Draco knew they would be gone- somehow.

"How did they apparate?" the murmur of students around the hall wondered.

You can't apparate on school grounds, so obviously they did something else.

They'd used a house elf, Draco decided. They probably used Dobby, really. The noises of human and house elf apparition were roughly the same. And Draco had learned in the past year that most wizards consistently underestimated house elves. But that blackness powder was impressive.

No one could deny that the Weasley twins had style, and to do it all on the night that Gryffindor was celebrating yet another Quidditch Cup victory. They'd probably only stayed as long as they had to play for the cup.

"Expelled!" the short witch shrieked, finding her voice again. "Those boys are expelled! And I will not stand for the quidditch cup going to such criminals!" she declared. "It will be in my office until further notice!" she croaked over the noise.

But no one would listen to her. This was quidditch, and she couldn't just name a different winner because two teenage wizards had made a fool of her. Attempting to do so would just bring further attention to Gryffindor's success- which might help Ginny, Draco noted. Students would speak of that exit for generations. Those two Weasley boys had brilliant minds for business. They could quietly sit for their NEWTS at the Ministry if they wished to, but their client base was secured this way. And that blackness powder was certainly interesting.

*****Ginny*****

The year couldn't get worse. The end of the quidditch season was an amazing day, but then there wasn't even quidditch to fill the hours. Ginny had been just trying to push through until exams were over and they could leave, but first it was Dumbledore, then it was McGonagall and Hagrid. And Umbridge wasn't gone yet. Who was left who was sympathetic to Gryffindors anymore? Sure, some of the other teachers were fine, but everyone was afraid- for their jobs and their health.

And then there was this… helping Harry contact Sirius, and getting caught, and manhandled by some of Umbridge's favourites, though Draco wasn't around.

There was Snape but... he wasn't a normal Order member. He obviously understood Harry message, and… and Ginny would feel confident that he'd take care of it… if it wasn't about the person he hated most in the world, Sirius. And he didn't really have good reason to believe Harry either. Tom could get in Harry's mind. It could just as easily be a trap. Except no one had been at Grimmauld Place, and Sirius never left.

And now Hermione was leading Umbridge and Harry to some imaginary weapon. And she was here… in a room with Ron, Neville, and Luna, and the Slytherins keeping them hostage. Crabbe, Goyle, Warrington, some other big oaf Ginny didn't know, and Pansy Parkinson, swishing her wand between the four of them and holding all their wands too. If Draco had been there, Ginny wondered if he would do anything to help or hurt them.

But, regardless, they had to do this on their own.

Ginny tried to catch Ron's eye and silently communicate what she was planning. It worked for the twins. Ron was busy struggling against his captor. It the Slytherins weren't idiots, they'd have stunned all four by now. But they seemed to prefer near strangulation. Umbridge clearly didn't care what happened to the three Gryffindors and the Ravenclaw. Sibling connection wasn't working, and Luna was still staring off in another direction.

Neville. Neville was looking at her, for direction or to plan something of his own. Ginny met his eyes and darted her eyes toward Pansy.

"Parkinson," Neville squeaked. "What are you doing with these lumps? There's four members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families in here, you and three of us you're holding hostage. Umbridge is a half-blood," he declared.

"You little blood-traitor," the older Slytherin holding Neville said, shoving him against the wall. That would hurt.

Ginny's own captor helpfully had her lifted in the air, so she could put all her effort into a well-aimed kick. Ginny was promptly dropped as Crabbe doubled over, and Ginny lunged straight for Parkinson and the wands. Pansy was still watching Neville when Ginny tackled her to the ground. Wands flew everywhere, and Ginny settled for one grabbing one she thought was Neville's.

Pansy returned physical force, hands on Ginny's face, scratching with her nails. Ginny had thought the other girl was jealous of Ginny over Draco- not that there was anything to be jealous of at the moment.

Ginny ended that scuffle with a bat-bogey hex. Warrington was coming at her now, apparently abandoned Luna.

"Stupefy," Ginny sent, but the older boy blocked it. When Ginny managed to get free, it seemed Luna and the boys had sorted themselves out. Five Slytherins lay unconscious, and Neville held out Ginny's wand to switch, bleeding pretty badly just above his eye.

"Good show," he congratulated.

"You were brilliant," Ginny said back. "Is Umbridge really a half-blood?"

"I think so," Neville shrugged. "Gran said so, and she knows everyone. Not that either of us think that's the reason to not respect that awful woman."

Ginny used the tracking spell to find Hermione and Harry, a spell she'd learned from her mother, for tracking wayward children. It had been a sweet mother-daughter moment. Before they knew that any children Ginny had would be Malfoys.

And then it all was happening even faster. Hermione and Harry had already taken care of Umbridge. There was a lot of blood, enough that Ginny actually hoped it wasn't all Umbridge's, or she was definitely dead.

Retelling stories of their respective escapes turned into fighting over who would or wouldn't be going to London.

Harry was fine with _Ron_ going. Ron who would still be trapped under Goyle's _armpit_ if it weren't for Ginny and Neville. It sounded like the stupid boy was even trying to leave without Hermione, when those two would have died years ago without Hermione. Ginny was tired of being underestimated as being just the little sister.

Luna discovered the thestrals in the end, or the thestrals discovered them because of all the blood, really. As Ginny flew her invisible steed, she gave silent prayer to who or whatever might be listening that the horse would stay invisible.

Why was she flying halfway across the country? It wasn't that she was regretting it already exactly- it was just that there was a lot of time to think, too much time. They should have done something else, flooed from Hogsmeade… Or house elves always seemed to be the right answer, if they could risk going back to the castle.

Was she there just to not be left out?

But like Neville had said, wasn't this what they had been training for, for something _real_?

Because she cared about Sirius too, and knew that he meant a lot to Harry. And Harry was practically the seventh Weasley boy, even if Ginny wasn't ever sure she'd quite be able to see him as a brother, even if she didn't want to date him.

Would Draco think anything about her leaving, assuming he found out... because that seemed likely at this point, since Harry Potter was involved.

Would she come back alive? She wasn't some Girl-Who-Lived, unless it counted that Harry had saved her life before. But that was more reason to be exactly where she was.

*****Ginny*****

Ginny ran through the halls, all of them following Harry. As she fixed the badge she had grabbed to her robes.

GINNY WEASLEY

RESCUE MISSION

Ginny had already decided that it was one of her most prized possessions.

Harry tried one more time to ditch them at the entrance to the Department of Mysteries- this nobility thing was getting annoying.

She didn't know if she'd remember every detail or only the vaguest impression of the night. The damn walls moved… A room wasn't supposed to spin unless you were drunk, which Ginny had never been. And now Harry says that he's following what he saw in a _dream_? This wouldn't make sense when she tried to explain it to anyone else, but it was part of knowing Harry Potter. He'd been able to save Ginny's father because of a dream. Another reason she was here.

Ginny and the others followed Harry through one wrong room after another. Though, as far as Ginny knew, only Harry would know when they found the right one, and his vision had been proven unreliable already.

The room with the archway and the hanging cloth was the creepiest. It was set up for hundreds of people to be able to watch something, and Harry and Luna claimed they could hear whispering from "behind" it. Ginny wondered if that veil was like the thestrals, you could only hear the voices if you'd seen someone die. Neville was looking… entranced, and Ginny couldn't blame him. There was something about it…

Then there was the room they couldn't open, which Luna thought must have the best hidden information beyond it- and Ginny privately agreed, but it wasn't what they were there for. Finally, there was a room Harry liked, and they raced through it, filled with clocks of all sizes and descriptions, and hourglasses too. Most alluring off all was a bell jar that had an egg in it, and then a bird, and all phases of life in between. Did the Ministry know the secrets of eternal life stranger than even the Philosopher's Stone or a phoenix?

"Keep going!" Harry called, maybe directed at her. Ginny bit her tongue and resisted snapping back.

This was apparently the room he wanted, full of shelves upon shelves of small possibly glass spheres. Mum would have gagged at how dusty the place was; it even bothered Ginny.

Hermione and Harry discussed finding the precisely right locations, but if Sirius were here, wouldn't they hear him already? Surely he'd be screaming for help or in pain?

It was all starting to feel…

"Keep your wands out," Harry hissed, as if the rest of them were idiots and didn't know that this place felt wrong. Ginny's wand had been out the whole time, and the others had done the same.

"He's right at the end. You can't see properly from here," Harry insisted when they were on the right row. Sure, Harry, sure.

"He should be near here," Harry whispered, still convinced, or struggling to be.

"Harry?" Hermione tried.

"Somewhere… here…" he mumbled. "He might be…" Harry peaked down the next row, "Or maybe…" and he tried the other side. But they'd hear someone just breathing hard, the place was so still and quiet.

"Harry?" Hermione tried a bit more strongly.

"What?" Harry snarled.

"I- I don't think Sirius is here," Hermione said gently. Moreover, he never had been there. Sirius thrashing around in pain would have done damage to this place- and there wouldn't be dust on every surface. Unless there was a useless spell that Ginny didn't know to make dust everywhere.

They needed to leave, Ginny started planning. Get to Grimmauld place and wait, because someone would come around when it was known that they had left school. Maybe Sirius was even there somewhere, asleep. Ginny hadn't really heard what had happened in the floo, but she was sure that Harry hadn't travelled all the way there and explored the whole house.

"Harry, have you seen this?" Ron said loudly. So they weren't worried about being caught anymore, apparently.

"What?" Harry asked eagerly. He was still expecting Sirius to materialize, it sounded.

"It's got your name on it," Ron answered, pointing.

Ginny crowded around with the rest of them. It was an orb like the others, less bright and more dusty than some. There was an old label that had a date older than Harry, some initials- the second set had to be Dumbledore, because no one else had that many initials, and "Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter). Ginny looked at Luna, but the other fourth year present didn't have something to contribute like she had with the veil.

"Harry, I really don't think you should touch it," Hermione warned. Harry was going to _touch it_? Ginny snapped her head around.

"Why not? It's something to do with me, isn't it?" Harry said stubbornly.

"Don't, Harry," Neville begged. Ginny fingered her wand, really thinking about stunning Harry- or trying to.

The brash idiot grabbed it. When nothing happened, Ginny thought they were safe, that maybe they should take that thing and bring it to Headquarters too.

"Very good, Potter," said Lucius Malfoy. Ginny couldn't forget that voice. She spun around to meet it, glad she still had her wand. "Slowly," Malfoy warned. "Turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me," he instructed.

Others appeared apparated in around Malfoy, all in Death Eater garb as well.

"To me," Malfoy reminded Harry, as if saying it once more would make Harry obey. Harry Potter could even fight off the Imperious Curse from Tom himself. He wasn't going to just do what Lucius Malfoy said because the older wizard asked nicely.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry demanded. _Not here. Clearly._ And he'd never been there. What did it take for Harry to realize this was a trap?

The Death Eaters laughed, and continued the bantering. A woman was the worst mocker. There were very few witches known to be in Tom's service. Pointless, pointless thought.

They wanted this prophesy orb thing and didn't want it to break. Did people really believe in prophesies? Had any of them met… what had those other initials been? If the prophesy had been made to Dumbledore, then it was really likely that… they were about to die because of some garbage that Trelawney made up!

"Now, now, not so fast, Bellatrix," Lucius Malfoy said, winning Ginny's attention again from her unhelpful thoughts.

"I knew you wouldn't come alone, Potter" Lucius Malfoy said. "Harry Potter doesn't do anything alone."

"You didn't seem to come by yourself either," Harry dared to say. There were eleven of them, Ginny counted.

"But I didn't think you would bring so many," Malfoy continued. "You think having more teenagers with you makes you stronger? It just gives you more vulnerabilities. More reasons to hand over that prophesy now, Potter," he declared.

"Voldemort should have just come here himself. Did he thinking it was more subtle to send a dozen followers in Death Eater robes?" Harry taunted.

Lucius Malfoy snarled at Tom's assumed name, but didn't yell again, "As my fellows know, the little one is set to be my daughter-in-law, by an old contract. As such, I nor my family can harm her. To be safe, I ask Bellatrix to leave her alone as well. But, of course, I cannot ask the same of anyone else," he drawled.

She was being singled out to be killed.

"And Bellatrix, I do believe the boy that isn't Potter or Weasley is a Longbottom," Malfoy drawled. Bellatrix Lestrange had tortured Neville's parents into insanity. Ginny noticed her friends standing closer around her.

How the hell could they get out of there? They didn't have a portkey like Harry had used after the Triwizard Tournament. None of them knew how to apparate. They would be hopeless at fighting their way out.

"Don't do anything," Harry whispered. "Not yet…" Did he have a plan? This was Harry's department, really. The Boy Who Lived, as much as he didn't like that name. He'd been in situations this bad before, hadn't he?

They started discussing the orb, the prophesy again. The Death Eaters really didn't want it to break. So, breaking it and accepting that the Death Eaters would kill them after that seemed like… the only Gryffindor thing to do.

This prophesy thing, maybe made by Trelawney was the reason for Harry's scar? Meaning… it was the reason that Harry was an orphan? It said something about him or his family then.

"Smash shelves when Harry says so," Hermione whispered directly in Ginny's ear. It was… better than nothing.

"NOW!" Harry yelled, in the middle of Malfoy talking, and they all sent their blasting spells in different directions.

Thousands of orbs shattered, their predictors speaking all at once. Shelves fell and the cases threatened to fall on them all. She had been stupidly staring before turning and grabbing Luna, before heading the way they'd came.

"RUN!" Harry shouted, rather needlessly.

They were all running in the chaos, Ron was close on Ginny's other side.

Ginny sent a few spells backward where she was mostly sure Harry, Hermione, and Neville weren't, and she heard one male scream. But it wasn't Malfoy. Though Malfoy himself was the least personal threat to her, he was the leader there.

There were multiple doors out of the room, because of course there were.

"This way, Brother," one of them called. Great, they had a set of brothers after the Weasley siblings and Luna. And, from the sound of it, it wasn't only two of them.

Ron picked the door and shoved Ginny and Luna along.

Silence, and a moment of total blackness until- light, blinding, spinning. Ginny closed her eyes and she no longer felt the ground.

"It's our solar system," Luna commented.

Ginny could see as well. She had paid at least that much attention in Astronomy class. Was this for more divination stuff like the prophesies? What were they made of, Ginny wondered. The room didn't feel warm, so the bright imitation sun wasn't giving off heat. In fact, it wasn't really a sphere like the others, but took up most of a wall.

"Woah," Ron said, and Ginny turned to see her brother floating sideways. What would she give for a firebolt in here- if that even worked.

"I think there's a door in the sun," Luna commented calmly. "And look, Jupiter's half in that wall. I wonder if it will disappear entirely and where it goes," she said.

"Don't care. How do we move?" Ginny said. Luna seemed to be successfully moving backwards towards the sun, so Ginny had to really squint.

"Your own breath can be a powerful propulsion, just pointing it in the opposite direction of where you want to go. I believe you could push yourself off from a planet if you were to hit one. We are lucky that they haven't removed the air from this room, don't you think?" Luna said.

Removing the air. Well, who was to say that wasn't next after the weightlessness thing? Ginny decided she would much rather die fighting Death Eaters than suffocate.

She grabbed onto Pluto, which was about the size of a snitch. It didn't move when she clutched and turned herself around it.

"Would be fun if we weren't running for our lives," Ron muttered ahead, sort of swinging from Saturn's rings.

Rings did seem like a good idea, and Uranus's thin, vertical ring was Ginny's next target. She managed to position Pluto between her feet and stretched towards Uranus when the situation went even worse.

Death Eaters. Gravity. And she was falling, and grasping, and swinging, and…

Caught.

A Death Eater had jumped up, grabbed her ankle, and swung with her, and he was heavy.

There was a blast somewhere behind her, and she couldn't hold on anymore.

Ginny heard the noise before she felt it.

Pain. Pain, really, really bad pain, was all that Ginny could think about.

It was just her ankle. Madame Pomfrey could heal it in a moment. Mum could probably do it herself. Even muggles hurt themselves worse than that and didn't die from it, right?

Ron scooped her up and ran.

Doors slammed, and startled shouts came from the room behind them.

"I closed both doors on them," Luna explained. "It starts the weightlessness, I think. I do hope Pluto can right itself. It is my favourite planet," she said.

Ginny just tried to concentrate on breathing.

Debris flew behind them from a blasting hex. Would a hole in the wall be as good as opening the door? Would they be running out any seco-

Ginny flew through the air again, but violently this time, crashing to the ground.

"Ron!" she protested at the same time that Ron screamed.

Ron was writhing on the ground.

Ginny was stupid and helpless.

Not worthy of being a Gryffindor or even a witch.

When Ginny opened her eyes again, Luna was pulling her up.

"Is Ron okay?" she panted.

"Looo-ney!" Ron's voice sounded strange.

"Ronald is somewhat affected," Luna clarified. "But the Death Eaters are coming," she warned.

With Luna's help, they made it through another door.

Harry, Hermione, and Neville.

She needed to warn them that Death Eaters could be right behind them, but Luna was already doing the talking.

When they were moving again, Ginny silently accepted Luna's help. She was still gripping her wand, but Ginny didn't know if she could do anything with it.

Room with all the doors again.

The first one revealed two masked Death Eaters who shouted.

They were soon in a room that Ginny finally recognized again, the creepy brain room.

But the Death Eaters found them there too.

"Get the prophesy and the girl!" Bellatrix said.

Ginny put up the best shielding charm she could manage.

PAIN. PAIN. PAIN. Ginny still managed to think that she had been stupid before to think that her ankle had hurt. She welcomed the blackness.

Ginny heard screaming and wondered if she'd been out for a second or hours.

"Get Potter!" came maybe Bellatrix again.

Then nothing but screams and blasts, but getting farther away.

"Your death would make it easy for Malfoy, eh?" a close male voice said. "Well, I never liked him." Ginny was more herself but couldn't tell if she still held her wand. "Those old marriage contracts are strict. What would happen if I gave you a kiss, you unconscious like that? I wonder if the boy's had you yet, little as you are." If he tried, she'd try to make him regret it before he probably killed her. Or was that just wishful thinking as she lay on the cold stone floor? "But I'd rather like to see Lucius with blood-traitor Weasley grandchildren, so I'll leave you alone."

The man walked off, and with the door open, Ginny heard the screaming more.

More voices.

She should be helping, not lying there like a worthless… something worthless. She couldn't come up with words either.

"SIRIUS!" That was Harry. Far away but really loud. "SIRIUS!"

 **A/N: This chapter was by far the most difficult to write thus far, which is strange, because it is the closest to canon, a few snippets taken directly, but mostly not.**


	12. Draco's Greater Fear

Chapter 12- Draco's Greater Fear

*****Draco*****

The Forbidden Forest was no place for Draco Malfoy. He had only been in once before, and that was in detention as a first year, under duress. Draco tried to gather his thoughts… He'd done too little thinking in the last hour.

OWLs were over, and what did he have to show for this year?

Probably, he could take any NEWT classes he wanted. Draco would have thought his parents would be proud.

But Draco dreaded returning to the Manor more than anything else. At any time, Tom Riddle could be there. Bellatrix Lestrange probably _would_ be there. The woman was his aunt. And his father would be there, and wasn't that enough? How many people had Lucius Malfoy killed?

Would Draco's father have laughed if Ginny had died when she was eleven? What about any of the other victims? Draco had been scared at the time, but more scared for himself than anyone else. He hadn't understood why they had to stay at Hogwarts at all that year, but Draco's father hadn't listened when Draco asked to come home- or go to Durmstrang, or anywhere else. And Draco's mother was either complicit in her husband's Death Eater activities, or willfully oblivious. But they were his parents. And sometimes people did what they had to do. Or they were confused enough to think it was the right thing. And maybe Draco was confused. _Ravenclaw_ purebloods probably didn't have to deal with this so personally.

Someone had set off some prank items in the castle that afternoon, in some way thanks to the Weasley twins, he was sure. Draco had not even bothered leaving the Slytherin common room this time.

After the last Slytherin quidditch game, Draco had retreated further from everyone. Of course, without Montague, they hadn't had a chance at their last game. Well, they could have had a chance if Draco had been better. Ginny had more snitch catches that season than Draco did. Draco had visited the older boy along with the rest of the team when the Matron had allowed it. He was babbling about being trapped and apparating out, but he couldn't have apparated on Hogwarts grounds.

As a fifth year, there wasn't anything left to do at the school. They wouldn't even be receiving final marks before departing on the stupid train. Draco still didn't understand why they couldn't all just floo home. _Home_.

There had been disturbances in the hallway all afternoon, celebrating an end to exams, or OWLs, or NEWTs, depending on the troublemaker. But the entire year hand been like that, even more after the Weasley twins left. The Inquisitorial Squad was supposed to be roaming the halls catching them, but Draco hadn't been a very attentive member of the group. It was all meaningless

"Wish Umbridge really had used the Cruciatus. I would have liked to see them scream," Goyle's voice came from the portrait hole. Crabbe was with him, smiling even more broadly. Draco felt sick. Who had it been? Potter, probably. But them- so Weasley and Granger too. And none of them had actually been cursed with it, from the sound of it but… Umbridge really needed to be removed. Someone with so much power over hundreds of students- of children- couldn't make threats like that. Slytherins didn't get many detentions lately, but everyone knew that Filch had been given permission from Umbridge for whippings. Draco hadn't heard if any had actually been given out, but the Cruciatus was so much worse.

"Who?" Draco asked, trying to sound casual.

"Potter," Crabbe answered.

"An' Weasley, Granger, an' others," Goyle said.

"Who?" Draco asked.

"You're worried about the little red bitch, huh?" Crabbe asked. "Not even gettin' to shag her anymore though, are you?"

That was not what he expected from his... from Crabbe. They hadn't talked much lately.

"Where is she!" Draco demanded.

"Ask your old girl," Goyle said. "Her fault they got away."

Pansy, he'd have to talk to Pansy. Though Ginny was probably fine, just set to serve detention for the rest of the year for something those Gryffindors did, and she wouldn't want to talk to him. But what if they were detentions with Filch? Whippings? McGonagall wasn't even in the castle anymore to protect her students from Umbridge. And Draco could apologize if that was what needed to happen.

He shaken most by the casual way Crabbe and Goyle talked about the Cruciatus Curse. Only Death Eaters used Unforgivables. But wasn't that what Umbridge was trying to make? Her own generation of young Slytherins with… the same qualities it took to become a Death Eater, right?

Pansy wasn't in the common room, or anywhere between the dungeons and Umbridge's office, and the office was empty. Where would Pansy be? Or if he could just find Ginny without finding her. Gryffindor Tower? No, Hospital Wing, just in case.

There was no sign of any Weasleys or Potter, but Pansy pushed past him, and Draco was surprisingly relieved to see her. How did he want to handle this?

"Are you alright?" he started. "I heard you were in a fight with Potter?"

"Don't even pretend you care about me, _Draco Malfoy_ ," she snapped. "Your little _girlfriend_ and the other trash around her probably followed Granger into the Forest. I hope they never come out. I knew the little slag would run off with Potter if she had a chance," Pansy sneered.

The Forbidden Forest. "Why would they go to the forest?" Draco asked, still trying to sound casual, despite the insults.

"Granger said there was a weapon there that Dumbledore wanted and was ready now. Umbridge wanted to see. So, she took Potter and Granger. Looney, Longbottom, and the Weasley trash probably followed them. And she _hexed me_. It was disgusting." Pansy could be wrong. They might have flooed to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters or something- but that didn't seem Gryffindor. And at worst, Ginny wasn't alone. As reluctant as Draco would normally be to depend on it, Potter always came out of a terrible situation alright.

So there he was, Draco Malfoy foolishly tromping around the Forbidden Forest, hoping to find a group of people who hated him and who had last been seen going there hours ago. Chances of them still being here… or of him finding them if they were…

*****Draco*****

"Mr. Malfoy, are you well?" the matron asked him, sounding concerned. He probably looked at least as bad as he felt. Hours traipsing around the forest most of the night could do that to a person, though he thought he must have mostly wandered aimlessly, even circling around, because he never found anything noteworthy except for a glance at a unicorn in the distance, and he somehow exited the woods long after dark, stumbling up to the Hospital Wing, hoping to find them but dreading what he might find.

Ginny was there, sitting on a bed and staring at him when he came in. She wasn't dead, didn't look badly hurt.

"I just want to check on Ginny," Draco pleaded with the matron. The woman raised an eyebrow but actually smiled. She raised her wand and muttered a diagnostic spell he recognized. She nodded.

"I'll leave out some Pepper Up potion, at least."

"Draco loves Gin-Gin," Ron Weasley's sing song voice rang out. Draco whipped around and found the red-head sitting up in a hospital bed, strange red markings on his face and arms. That Weasley was definitely addled. Draco could feel his face coloring. Ginny was as red as her hair. "Can't you see? He's scared for her. That means he looo-ves her and wants to maaaaarry her."

"Don't hex him in the Hospital Wing. I'm sure he won't remember it anyway," Ginny spoke softly.

Draco sat awkwardly at the foot of her bed because there wasn't a chair around, and he didn't feel up to keep standing. Draco heard the matron giving Weasley something to make him fall asleep, and he was overwhelmingly grateful to the woman.

"Where did you go?" Draco asked, exhausted and mindful of his tone, lest he get kicked out of the ward. Pepper Up potion was sounding like a great idea anyway.

"To London, to the Ministry," Ginny's weak voice said.

"What? Why?" Draco asked, reasons flying through his mind. To report Umbridge perhaps, but the Ministry probably would have been closed before they managed to get there. And how had a trip to the Ministry landed so many in the Hospital Wing? Or perhaps that was damage already done in the forest?

"To rescue someone who was hurt, but it was a trap and Death Eaters were there-" the girl managed, trailing off. The panic he had felt for hours reemerged again, even though the danger was clearly past. How had Ginny- how had any of them survived? Had all of them made it out?

"So you went off across the country on some hair-brained Gryffindor scheme and you didn't even tell me? How did you even get there?" Draco ranted, fear manifesting as rising anger. "I've spent the last- I don't know how many bloody hours running around the damned forest looking for you because I thought- I thought you were still there."

Ginny chose this time to find her spine, "Well, I'm sorry you get yourself _dirty_ , walking around after your bedtime, but some of us... I didn't ask you to look for me. I didn't expect… I don't know why you're mad at me-"

"I'm mad because you could have died!" Draco growled, knowing he would never live this down. Too many witnesses. Even if Weasley was loopy and Lovegood was always a bit off.

"Well, that's the only way you wouldn't have to marry me, so wouldn't you be happy about that?" the witch shot back.

Draco felt the accusation like a physical blow. He looked at the witch, who he sometimes sort of thought of as… _his witch_. Angry, beautiful, and bloody terrifying. And really beautiful when she was angry. "I'm sorry we fought," he whispered. "I don't want you to do anything to get hurt. And anything mean I said, I didn't mean it anyway." That was the best he could do. It wasn't any grand declaration of love. Love? Did he love Ginny Weasley?

"Even if it means you'll have to marry me in a little more than two years?" Ginny insisted, always pushing him one step further.

"Yes," Draco whispered. "That's what I want," he said, those words holding less terror than the thought of Ginny being gone. Marriage had scared him as much or more than anything else, even as much as his father being a murderer, but the idea of Ginny being dead was worse.

He was surprised when Ginny actually launched herself at him, settling half in his lap, arms around his neck, commencing to wet the front of his robes with her quiet tears.

It was emotions running high, for both of them. Not thinking clearly.

When the tired and angry matron came to check on them, Ginny was still silently sobbing into his robes, "Please don't make me go," he asked the matron, knowing she had every right to after their shouting display.

He felt Ginny's grip on him tighten and she let out an audible sob. Draco faintly smiled. Even when utterly distressed, Ginny would work at getting what she wanted, which at the moment seemed to be convincing the matron to allow his presence.

The stern witch surprisingly nodded and went towards the back of the room, where Longbottom was, feigning sleep, though Draco had spotted him peeking once when he had glanced over the room. Witnesses.

"Was he there? My father?" Draco asked softly, not really prepared for the answer that he expected but feeling like he needed to ask. Could he go back to the manor as if nothing had happened, as if nothing had changed- as if _he_ hadn't changed that year, because of the girl in his arms? He'd befriended a _house elf_. He'd gone into the forest to… save her or something. He had never had a clear plan. When they weren't fighting, he liked talking to Ginny Weasley a lot. And the snogging.

Ginny nodded against his shoulder and brought her face away slightly so she could talk, her voice weak again, though he knew that she was so strong. "Yes. Bellatrix wanted to torture me, but he said that no one from his family could hurt me, and he didn't want her to risk it. But he said that the actions of others were _outside of his control_."

His father really wanted his future wife dead. The man was asking for it. As if Draco would just marry the 'right' sort of girl with that 'messiness' behind him and have 'appropriate' Malfoy children. Never. He'd rather end the Malfoy line with himself than that.

"What did they want- Potter? Is everyone else- okay?" Draco asked quietly, surprised that he cared. He didn't actually wish death or even harm to his childhood rivals.

Ginny smiled before it slipped off her face. "The students are, but Sirius Black died."

Draco was confused that Ginny would find that worth mentioning. She hadn't had to… kill him herself, had she? "A Death Eater?"

"No, he wasn't. He had- some problems for sure, but he had a rough life. Twelve years in Azkaban for crimes he didn't commit. Dying before his name could even be cleared," Ginny sniffed, burying her head again. "He was Harry's godfather. Harry's probably pretty messed up."

"Were they caught? By Dumbledore or someone? Are the Death Eaters going to Azkaban?" Draco asked, thinking of his father and unsure what he wanted. No, he knew and felt like a traitorous son for wanting his father to be locked up in Azkaban far away from him and from Ginny.

"Yes, from what I've heard. Except for Bellatrix and Tom," Ginny mumbled.

" _He_ was there?"

"Yeah. It will be all over the morning Prophet. They'll probably delay the issue just to get it in. Everyone saw, loads of Ministry people apparently. There are even some pictures, but I'm not sure if they'll be printed.

"So everyone knows that he's back," Draco thought aloud. What would Slytherin house be like now?

"Madame Pomfrey, can I please leave?" Ginny half shouted suddenly to get the witch's attention. "I really need to be out of here. You said I was well enough to leave by morning, and it's morning, and I would like to leave now."

Morning wasn't really accurate, it wasn't light out, and Draco still wanted to sleep… despite all of those thoughts and his racing heart.

The older witch studied them both. "You're well enough physically to go. You'll look after her, Mr. Malfoy?" the witch asked.

"Yes, matron," the startled young wizard replied, as Ginny was already throwing her crumpled dressing gown over the hospital robe and stuffing her feet into shoes.

Ginny led them as far as the closest classroom before shutting the door and saying, "I think you should talk to Dumbledore. Or my parents. Oh, or Professor Snape!" Ginny suggested.

"Snape is a Death Eater too- don't you know? I've- known him all my life, but really, what the hell is he doing around a school full of children?" Draco wondered aloud.

"He's-" Ginny hesitated, "He's a spy, and Dumbledore has reason to believe he's on our side. He's saved Harry more than once. I'm really trusting you with this, Draco," she whispered.

Draco stared at her. Whether she was right about Snape or not, she was telling him things that her friends and family would be upset by, maybe even think she was a traitor for sharing. They usually stayed away from those topics, even if Draco had gathered bits over the months.

"I will," Draco agreed. "I'll speak to Professor Snape," he said, feeling more comfortable talking to the man he'd known all his life, even if he wasn't sure what 'side' the man fought for ultimately. He was fairly certain that the man still cared about him.

And then Ginny kissed him, desperately, tears reappearing down her cheek. Draco wondered if some of the tears were his as well, relieved that she was alright, that she was in his arms, and didn't hate him. That somehow everything would be okay. He'd marry this girl one day, sooner each moment, and that didn't scare him as much as it did a day ago. There were so many other things to fear.

*****Draco*****

"I've heard something about your- alliances, but how can I know if it is true?" Draco asked boldly of the man behind the desk in front of him.

Snape rose from his desk, expression highly irritated, and performed several complicated want movements in the direction of the closed door, and finally declared, "More educated wizards and witches than you have had trials over the issue, and you will notice that I am not currently in Azkaban," the man said in a frustrating non-answer. "Though I imagine that my stay fourteen years ago was longer than your father's will be now."

"That's what I _don't_ want," Draco said in an almost scream, tension becoming too much for him. Then to cover his bases, "Regardless of my ideological leanings, I do not want to be in any active war, and that is doubtless where I would find myself. I'm still fifteen, don't even know what NEWTs I'm taking. How could I possibly be part of a war?" Draco demanded, thinking of the Gryffindors in his year whom had been part of something like this since they came to Hogwarts, or even longer in the case of Potter. Even when everyone thought Tom was defeated, it had still happened somehow.

"You have been- discussed for quite some time to bring into the Death Eater ranks, more seriously since the revelation of your future marriage," Snape confirmed carefully. "There was discussion over whether to wait until you were of age, but with the Dark Lord's current distaste of your father... he is difficult to predict in even ideal circumstances. Tell me, Draco, have the ideological leanings that you spoke of changed from those of your upbringing?" Snape said, sounding indifferent.

"How the hell can I trust you with anything like that?" Draco cursed in front of his professor, his Head of House, Severus Snape, longtime family friend. "So what if maybe I'm just not stupid enough anymore to think muggleborns are inferior if Granger's smarter than the rest of the class combined!" Draco shouted. Evidently, he trusted his 'Uncle Severus' enough for this. "I thought muggles were lower than house elves. And house elves, I've changed there too! By this time next year, I'll be in Granger's little elf protection group. I was practically raised more by Dobby than my parents anyway. Why did I get to treat him like shit? How the hell am I supposed to function anymore? I can't go back there and pretend that I don't _hate_ my father for what he's done. He could have gotten Ginny killed! He wanted to get her killed. And the others wouldn't have deserved it either."

"Look at me, Draco," came his professor's smooth voice. When Draco looked Severus Snape in the eyes, the older wizard whispered, "Legilimens." Memories flashed before his eyes, starting with Ginny and their most recent encounter but jumping around to his times of misgivings of his raising. Snape was pushing towards a moment that was followed by some particularly good snogging when Draco was able to rally to push his professor out. Surely the man had seen enough, and he certainly didn't need to see _that_.

Exhausted and suddenly on the floor, Draco looked up at his professor, but not making eye contact this time. "You've changed over the last year," the man said. "Primarily because of Miss Weasley, I have gathered. And you have a firm grasp of rudimentary Occlumency skills. Your father?" he asked in the same soft voice.

"My mother," Draco replied instead. "I was told that all of the Black sisters were particularly good at it."

"Yes, Bellatrix was quite skilled with all matters of the mind, legilimency, obliviating, and torturing, until she began to lose her own instead," Snape drawled. "You will need to develop those skills further. With your father's impending imprisonment, I imagine the Headmaster could make official excuses and attempt to find another place for you, but I can make no promises. I do not doubt that your father will return to his manor before the end of summer, possibly before the end of the week. I would offer to house you myself-" Severus Snape said to Draco, the boy he had held hours after the child's birth, "But I have an unpleasant house guest of my own, and you would be under stricter observation there. If you will take your leave," Severus said, dropping the wards he had placed on the door and opening it with a flick of his wand.

Draco was more confused than ever, but he was reasonably sure that Uncle Severus wouldn't share what was said to his father or any of their circle. Slytherins had loyalty differently than Hufflepuffs, but he was assured of that much at least. Maybe Ginny was right about their professor after all, he pondered as he continued to wander the halls, thoughts drifting to whatever Ginny might be up to.

*****Draco*****

In the days after the Ministry incident, Draco became more reclusive than ever. The whole school knew that his father was in prison, but none but Ginny knew how furious Draco was at the man. And people Draco slept in the same room with had followed Umbridge's orders so unquestioningly… uncaring of the safety of fellow students, even if they were Gryffindors- and Lovegood. No one reasonable should care about a stupid rivalry when that vile, truly evil woman was threatening the Cruciatus Curse.

"I'm sorry I worried you," Ginny murmured between kisses. They had agreed on the Room of Requirement, as Ginny called it, for its comfortable setting. Draco was thinking about just sleeping in the place and avoiding his dormitory entirely. Would his Head of House notice, he wondered? "But I can't promise I won't do something that dangerous again," she added. Damned Gryffindor that he… cared about.

"What are we?" he asked, pulling away a bit. She was… sort on top of him as they reclined on the couch. The bed that the room also gave them would have been more comfortable, but neither of them had acknowledged it. That would be far too much.

"Hmm?" Ginny asked.

"Are you my- am I your friend? Boyfriend- betrothed- fiancé?" he ran through a list. "Future husband, intended, promised, beaux?"

Ginny considered it, "I've thought fiancé was a lovely word, but I'm not sure I am that yet, since neither of us have officially asked," she said. He was supposed to ask, he supposed, but when? "I think boyfriend is most accurate without sounding dreadful, but we could be friends too."

"So long as you don't do this with any other friends," he said, indicating their position.

"I wouldn't, even if I could without you know- terrible consequences," Ginny promised.

So, that was one part of his life that was going well, even if it was the only part.

*****Draco*****

"Draco," a voice called from down the hall, stopping him in his wanderings. A young adult witch, messy brown hair and robes open over a pair of muggle jeans and a Weird Sisters' shirt. That description clicked in his mind, even though she didn't look like the witch he'd met before. Nymphadora Tonks, his cousin on his mother's side, his only first cousin. She was a metamorphmagus, but was looking ordinary right now, if a little out of place at Hogwarts.

"Hey," the witch said, looking uncomfortable. She looked like she hadn't been taking care of herself, but Draco did remember that another cousin of theirs had recently died, one whom she probably knew and cared about.

"Nymphadora Tonks," Draco neutrally greeted his cousin that he hadn't known existed until they'd met for lunch when she had been Ginny's chaperone.

"Just Tonks. _Your_ mother didn't give you such a terrible name," Tonks said with almost a smile.

Draco tried to return the levity, "'Draco' seems like a great name when you're six, but the upper years weren't so impressed with it when I was a first year. Though it probably had more to do with my attitude than my name," Draco allowed. It was worth it to see the witch smile.

"Can you- in here," Tonks said, walking into a nearby empty classroom and expecting him to follow. Draco complied cautiously. When he entered the room, Tonks put wards on the door. Draco thought he recognized some of them as ones Professor Snape had used before.

"You can stay with my parents- if you don't want to go home," the witch said after lowering her wand, surprising Draco. He wasn't sure what else he had been expecting, but it hadn't been an offer of a home. "It's got some wards on it, and they've agreed. We're all putting our necks out, so don't take it lightly. They're family, you know. Even if the Blacks haven't been close in years, and some of us aren't technically on any family trees," she laughed.

"I- thank you," Draco said.

"Think on it for a bit. You don't have to give an answer until you leave Hogwarts. You can just tell Professor Snape, and they'll be ready. Mum's pretty good at Occlumency too," Tonks hinted. "And they taught us some in the Academy. I'm best on my squad. I'll stop by there from time to time. And I could _probably_ sneak Ginny in for a visit. An opened-doors visit, young man."

"Thank you," Draco nodded again, wondering if all he did these days was apologize and thank people. He never used to have to do those things. "Why would you do that?" he asked. He wasn't used to charity either. No one ever liked a Malfoy enough to give them something without expectations.

Tonks looked at him in a very piercing way, though Draco was sure that she wasn't trying to use legilimency. "Because I think Ginny Weasley is a fine judge of character these days, and I wish the best for her," the witch finally said. "And like I said, we're family. I know that shouldn't mean a lot, because family can be terrible scum that I would kill on sight if I could. But it means something in your case, okay?"

Draco nodded, knowing that the witch meant Aunt Bellatrix, no, just Bellatrix, no term of endearment or familiarity. And perhaps Tonks meant his father as well, but Draco couldn't face that one yet, the man that Draco had spent his entire life trying to be good enough to impress.

"And I don't know much about Narcissa, but I know that your father isn't likely to stay in Azkaban for nearly as long as he deserves. It's a depressing reality in the Department these days. And I think you should be somewhere else when he gets out. It can be somewhere that he doesn't know where, and it can even look like you were forced into it," Tonks suggested.

Draco nodded pensively. What the witch said was probably true. Just a year ago Draco would have said it was a terrible injustice that his father would ever be locked up, and that no bars could hold a Malfoy. Now, Draco was terrified of his father's release or escape. "I'll do it. I want to go," Draco said.

"And it doesn't matter that my Dad's muggleborn?" Tonks questioned, bringing Draco's thoughts back to the present. "It's half his house, and he's family too," she insisted, but holding out her hand already for him to shake.

"It doesn't matter," Draco voiced aloud, which was not something he'd said before either. He took the offered hand and shook it quickly, still uncomfortable with this new branch of his family. "Thank you," Draco muttered again. He almost wanted to ask if he could see his mother over the summer, but stayed quiet.

"I'll see you in the summer," Tonks said, clasping her hand around Draco's shoulder before releasing whatever spells she had put on the door and leaving him to his thoughts.

*****Draco*****

Potter was the great hero, the Boy-Who-Lived again, and Dumbledore was back, all titles restored, and Draco didn't much care.

Ravenclaw had the House Cup in the end, narrowly over Gryffindor, but it had been the first time it hadn't been Gryffindor in years- and the Cup had been Slytherin's for years before that. Draco could hardly imagine that time. Ravenclaw had gotten a decent lead- not being the targets of Inquisitorial squad or retaliating efforts on other teacher's parts. Sometimes Slytherins couldn't even account for disappearing points from their hourglass. And Lovegood had gotten points just like the Gryffindors. For risking their lives and breaking into their government's most secret facility. And for exposing the greatest threat alive to the world. Dumbledore apparently respected Flitwick or the Ravenclaws enough not to take the cup away from them at the feast as he had from Slytherin. And it seemed petty to care about any of that anymore after everything else.

Umbridge had finally left, and everything at Hogwarts had some semblance of order again. It wasn't so bad. And the next day he would meet his aunt and her husband, the people who raised Tonks. They had to be interesting at the least. Draco had learned that Andromeda Black had been a Slytherin, which was more interesting still.

 **Original Note: Thank you, assuming anyone is reading this! I really did not want to start another long story, but this one came to me. I didn't want to post anything until I got at least this far. So, hopefully this is going well and I've written further. And if not- at least I made it this far, and I like it. If I am able to continue, there will be more departures from canon the further we go forward.**

' **Now' Note: Thank you so much for everyone who has been reading and reviewing, favoriting, etc. I hope to keep posting at a decent pace, every week sometimes two. I hadn't noticed until the final edit through that every scene was a 'Draco' bit in this chapter, but what can I say, he's going through a lot.**


	13. Family

Chapter 13- Family

*****Draco*****

Tonks- Dora- approached Draco slowly as he worked on his summer work on the couch. Her brown hair was in a messy bunch on top of her head. Not her normal look, but she'd been through a lot, from what he'd gathered. "Ginny can't come?" Draco guessed from her current expression.

"Oh- sorry, I haven't been over there. I'll try. Do you- want to see your mum tomorrow for your birthday?"

"At the manor?" Draco asked. He didn't say 'home.' Draco had only spent about a week at the three-bedroom, one-storey house with the e-lec-tricity, the telly, and the telephone on the wall. Ted Tonks had used it a few times to talk to his mother.

Ted Tonks, Hufflepuff, undeniably good person, and with a surprisingly pleasant sense of humour.

"No, in a public place with me there. And, fair warning, I will have to report just about anything she says to- the group of people concerned," she said.

"To the Order of the Phoenix, I know. And Ginny didn't tell me," Draco added.

"Well, you're a smart kid. Are you okay with this?" she asked.

How could he know what was 'okay' anymore?

"My father is still in Azkaban?" Draco asked, uncomfortably. He wasn't sure where the line was between being a bad son and being a bad person, and if he had to pick one.

"Yeah, he is," Tonks confirmed.

"I would like to see Mother, thank you," Draco said.

"I'm sure you know it, but she really loves you," Tonks said. Tonks was a Hufflepuff too. He had thought she was more Gryffindor at first, but no. "She wants you safe, regardless of who wins this war, and she told me that in the middle of the auror division. Well- off in a corner surrounded by an impressive number of secrecy spells really, but still. Granted, I don't think she gives a damn about anyone _but_ you and her husband, which I don't agree with, but I admit that she is an interesting woman."

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Draco said. He'd tried to use this quiet summer to think when he wasn't surrounded by his year mates. He cared about Ginny, as evidenced by his running through the Forbidden forest for hours looking for her. And he cared… at least a little about everyone he'd met, didn't he? He didn't want any of them dead. Except for... Tom. Which meant he had something important in common with all of those people in the Order of the Phoenix. He hoped they won. That didn't mean that he wanted to be involved for real- and he hoped he could keep Ginny out of it as well. Ginny's parents agreed with him there, but Ginny was very strong-willed.

*****Draco*****

Lunch was uncomfortable.

"You look like your father," was the first thing that Draco's mother said, and it was directed at Dora Tonks. It was true, much more obvious without the colourful hair. And the lack of bright hair meant that Tonks wasn't doing well, Draco understood.

"Thank you," Dora replied curtly.

"Happy Birthday, Draco," was the second thing his mother said, and the last thing until their order was taken, and even until food arrived. She was usually one to talk to fill uncomfortable silences. Draco hadn't really learned that skill, but he also wasn't comfortable with silence. At this rate, Dora wouldn't have anything to report.

"I hope to receive my OWL results soon," Draco said over his sandwich.

"I'm sure you did very well," his mother said. Followed by more silence. Well, there wasn't much happy to discuss. No society affairs or Ministry news, except that the idiots were finally acknowledging Tom's return and sucking up to Potter and Dumbledore. Draco disliked reading the Prophet, but did regardless, because it was important to know what the idiots were doing.

His mother stood when they were finished. "Above all else, stay safe," she said with a hug that Draco returned tightly. "And have a happy birthday," she said, handing him a long box- it was broom-shaped, and Draco had been trying to ignore the whole meal. They hadn't, had they? Draco's hand slipped right onto a piece of parchment as well. She could have put it in the box, he noted.

Tonks sighed loudly when they made it back to her parents' house. "I'm sorry Draco, but I'm going to have to read that letter your mother slipped you. To be honest, if it's from your father, we could really use some information from a Death Eater."

"I was- going to mention it if there was anything important in it," Draco said softly, holding out the letter.

"You can open it, kid. I'm really sorry it has to be like this, Draco. A son should get to read a letter his mother gave him without a host of strangers reading it too. If- well, when- I do have to pass it on, I can eliminate anything too personal first."

"Thank you," Draco said, trying to open the letter without his hands shaking."

It was his father's writing. _Disgrace_. The whole family was in disgrace, it said. Draco was offered redemption that he'd have if those people hadn't hidden him away so he couldn't take his 'rightful place'.

 _Rightful place._ They wanted Draco to be a Death Eater. But he was hardly sixteen! That explained the Firebolt. Buying his affection, his loyalty, his happiness. Because he was sure it was a Firebolt even before he opened it.

"You can take it," Draco said, not wanting to see the note any longer. "Mother could have hidden it better if she'd wanted it hidden- just so you know. Can Ginny come over?" Draco asked.

"I think so. I'll just take this over to Headquarters and send her back if I can, okay?"

"Thank you."

Draco stared at the excellent broom. He'd wanted one since before they were in stores. The top broom on the market, and Potter had one.

Ginny stepped gracefully out of the floo less than a minute later.

"Draco? Are you okay? Tonks wouldn't say how seeing your mum went. Is she okay?"

Draco noted that Ginny had come alone, without even Tonks in sight. She probably had to deal with the letter just like the rest of the Order. So they had privacy for a few moments at least. Draco swept the witch into a fierce hug. He rarely initiated hugs.

"Draco, are you okay?" Ginny asked.

"Thank you," he whispered at last.

"For what? Draco, I'm not patient. I freak out. You're scaring me."

"For talking to me, getting me here. Saving my life probably. So that I'm not… being dragged before… Tom…." He used the name Ginny always called him now. It seemed better than anything else. "And being… coerced into his service."

"But you're not even seventeen."

"And from the way my father's letter sounds, if I were at home, I'd have been marked already."

"We- I won't let that happen to you," Ginny declared.

"You- that damned marriage contract is the best thing that has ever happened to me, Ginny Weasley," Draco whispered his confession.

"Aww," Ginny cooed back. "Flattery will get you places, you know," she hinted suggestively. She was flirty like that sometimes.

"I'm serious, Ginny. I'm- scared. I don't want to think about what my life would be like without you," he said. They were children, but not really. Of age, but not really.

"Good, because you won't have to," she said, pushing away just a bit before leaning up and kissing him. There was a more of a height difference than there had been almost a year ago. "Happy Birthday," she said when she broke off the kiss. "I'd hoped to get to see you today," she said, handing him a small, wrapped rectangular gift, too small to be a book. "Open it, open it," she encouraged excitedly.

Draco smiled and opened the package even more slowly. It was a small stack of pictures, of Ginny.

"I borrowed Colin's camera and made him show me how to develop them properly, but he didn't get to see them. Luna took them for me."

The first was Ginny standing in front of a bookcase, wearing a knee-length blue dress that Draco hadn't seen before, but it suited her perfectly. Probably using things supplied by the Room of Requirement. She was waving at him and smiling. The second was in the same dress, with her shining horse patronus dancing around her as she laughed. She was a very talented witch. And beautiful. The third was Ginny in a long, purple gown and reclining on a couch and looking… very flirtatious. He watched her blow a kiss at him from the picture.

"The a- Room of Requirement is where we took them," Ginny explained. "I had to work quickly because it was in the last few days after everything. But I'd already been thinking of the idea, and just sending to you even though we were fighting. I hadn't quite worked up the nerve though," she said.

Only one more, Draco noted with disappointment.

Woah.

Ginny was wearing… not much. It was green and… mature. A brassiere and knickers, with some shear other material from the underside of the brassiere to her thighs. She shifted around on the velvet couch, showing more than Draco would have thought that she'd have to show. Wow. He was very glad that Creevy hadn't gotten to see that. Draco found himself even jealous of Lovegood.

Looking up at the real witch in front of him, Ginny was redder than he had ever seen her, Redder than Draco thought he must be.

"Just make sure not to let anyone else see that one, and don't rip them up the next time we have a big fight," Ginny said.

"I would never," Draco promised. No one else got to look at her like that. No one ever would. He liked that.

"Can you stay for dinner?" Draco asked, hoping she wouldn't have to leave soon. "Aunt Andromeda and Uncle Ted are having a dinner for me, and they wouldn't mind," Draco said. It was easy to fall into calling them that, even muggleborn Uncle Ted.

"I think I can. I'd love to. Did your mum bring you something for your birthday?" Ginny asked.

"From my father. A Firebolt," Draco answered stiffly.

Ginny's eyes went wide for a moment, "Well, that's great, isn't it?" she asked calmly. "You'd been wanting one for a while," she pointed out.

"And I get it _now_. It's a bribe from my father. To believe everything he does. To become a Death Eater," Draco explained.

"Well, _that_ won't be happening," Ginny assured him. "Because I can't marry a Death Eater," she said plainly. Her father had said the same thing months ago. It didn't really freak Draco out anymore when marriage came up. Marriage to Ginny Weasley would always be interesting. They would fight and make up, talk, and snog, and more. "And hey, this works great for me. Since I intend to make the quidditch team as a chaser this year, and hope I can still borrow your Nimbus 2001- since you have a Firebolt now," she smiled sweetly.

"You can ride it. Hell, you can have it," Draco decided. He didn't want it.

"That's too much, but I will continue to impose on your generosity until I can make a professional team and buy my own broom. Though I suppose we'll be married _before_ then, and then the Nimbus technically will be half mine anyway, so…" Ginny smiled at him.

Draco shook his head, "I meant the Firebolt. I'd rather ride the Nimbus," Draco had already decided. "I know it was a bribe to the quidditch team to let me on, but it didn't come with the expectation of me becoming a murderer. I don't want anything to do with this," Draco said, depositing the Firebolt in Ginny's hands, her eyes comically wide, mouth dropped open. "And he'd _hate_ you having it," Draco said. And he smiled at her. Draco had rarely defied his father.

"I- will take very good care of it. And I'll understand if you change your mind before the Gryffindor Slytherin match, so long as you still let me borrow the Nimbus," Ginny said.

"I don't even know if I'll play," Draco spouted without really thinking. "What's the point? I'm not good enough, and there's a lot of other things going on." The… Potter's crowd had the right idea of it, learning to better defend themselves. Though he wouldn't seek out trouble like they did.

"Hey, mister, you're not going to convince me that quidditch isn't important. It's supposed to be fun," Ginny said.

"That's alright for you. I mean, it's _great_ for you, really. You've played on a team less than a year, and you're better than me at a position you don't even like." Draco said. The truth came out easier than he would have thought. "For you, it's more important than most of your classes. You'll make a professional team _at least_ as a flexible reserve player. I have to pick NEWT classes, and I don't know what I'm going to do," he complained. "And none of it seems important because Tom and Bellatrix might be at my old house with Mother right now, and I can't- do anything about it, or I'll be trapped worse," he whispered.

"Hey," Ginny said, shaking his arm. "I think your mum would want you to have a happy birthday, here, where it's safe. And you're still with family," Ginny pointed out. "Family by blood, marriage, and… future marriage, or whatever you want to call me," Ginny shrugged.

"We're family?" Draco said in half-question, not minding the sound of that.

"How long do you think we have alone?" Ginny asked, dragging him over to the biggest armchair.

"I don't know. Depends on if people know where you are. Tonks will probably come back by after the meeting. Andromeda and Ted will be home before dinner," Draco listed. "Wha-?"

Ginny shoved him down onto the chair, deceptively strong for her size. She sat on top of him, facing him, one leg straddled on either side of him. "Good, then we have some time," Ginny said before kissing him.

If distracting him was her aim, then she was very, very good at it. They talked some, between kisses, updating each other on the bits of summer that were mostly refreshingly boring- cleaning, homework, flying for Draco, of which Ginny was jealous.

A male cough startled Ginny into falling on Draco's feet- which Draco promptly shoved her off and crossed his legs- as if Ginny hadn't just been sitting on them. Picture of innocence far too late.

Ginny scrambled up and sat on the couch.

"Sorry sir," Draco said to Ted Tonks.

"I came home early to throw together a cake, and then I'll run out for take away," Uncle Ted announced. "And I think we'll make a no guests in bedrooms rule. Acceptable?"

"We weren't-" Ginny and Draco both started, looking at each other. Ted had already walked into the kitchen.

"Merely preemptive. I was a teenage boy myself once, and I raised a teenage girl. I haven't had the pleasure of speaking to Molly or Arthur in a few years, and when I do next, I don't intend for it to be about getting the two of you married before Ginny starts to _show_ ," he said easily, moving around things in the kitchen. Malfoys blushed even more unfortunately than Weasleys. Everyone was so ready to jump to conclusions when they were hardly doing anything. Ginny was still _fourteen_. For a bit longer.

And if they did want to do something, it wouldn't be that difficult at school. Lots of empty classrooms and broom cupboards. And the Room of Requirement- if it wasn't already occupied by other students wanting the same thing.

"Can I help you in the kitchen, Mr. Tonks?" Ginny offered.

"Only if you call me Ted, young lady. Or Uncle Ted, I've gotten rather fond of that," he called.

Ginny smiled and walked towards the kitchen, waving at Draco, who was not feeling like getting up quite yet.

*****Ginny*****

Ginny helped make the cake. She didn't mind working in the kitchen when it was voluntary, and Draco seemed to enjoy watching when he finally joined them. The two of them just sort of awkwardly talked and held hands on the couch after 'Uncle Ted' left the house again. They had skipped the hand-holding stage, so maybe it was nice to try it out.

Ted came back with pizza, his favourite food that he had gotten Draco fond of as well. It was apparently Italian, but not like in Italy, whatever that meant. It was rather good- thin bread with tomato sauce, cheese, and a variety of foods on top. They ate when Andromeda returned home shortly after. And then Draco got presents from them, books and clothes, particularly a Slytherin coloured scarf.

"She'll like you more than me soon, kid," Tonks greeted. "I imagine that I was such a disappointment being a Hufflepuff," she said, grabbing some cake.

"Now, dear, you know that's not true. Slytherin would have been a terrible fit for you or your father, and I would never love you less for it," Andromeda scolded. Sirius had said that everyone else in their family was in Slytherin, so it made sense that Andromeda was part of that. Sirius who was dead now.

"Was this yours?" Draco asked cautiously, holding the scarf.

"It was. I thought you might like it, and I hope you don't mind the implication. I haven't worn it in more than twenty years. And I might be biased, but I think people had better craftsmanship then," she said, brushing her fingers lightly over the serpent embroidered on one end.

"Sorry to break this up, Ginny," Tonks said, "But I've got to get you home. Your mum's worried. Sooo… out you go, whisper in the floo, everyone else has to stay in here, sorry," Tonks announced.

"Don't forget the broom," Draco said, turning all eyes towards him again.

Ginny nodded, "Happy Birthday," she wished once more, "Thank you for dinner and cake," she said to the Tonkses.

Ginny very nervously flooed back, holding the Firebolt. It felt really wrong getting the immaculate broom near any fire.

"Love you, Mum, going to my room," she called. She saw Professor Lupin look at her strangely as she raced up the stairs. But everyone had looked at her differently now, so that didn't mean anything.

"Ginny, where were you?" Ron asked. "They had an Order meeting, and I couldn't find you. And you missed dinner. Oh, great, someone brought Harry's Firebolt?" he asked.

"It's- not Harry's," Ginny said. She hadn't even thought thought how weird it would be to explain why she was holding the highest rated broom on the market. The Order would want to know about it so they could gossip more about Draco. And if Draco really didn't change his mind, everyone would notice when she flew it in quidditch practice and the games- because now she was even more sure to make the team that she was practically already on.

"What? Who else would own a Firebolt?" Ron asked. With Hermione and Harry not there yet, and Fred and George officially in the Order, it was really just the two of them.

"It's Draco's birthday, and his dad sent it, but Draco didn't want it," Ginny decided on.

Ron looked confused, "Draco _Malfoy_ didn't want the best racing broom in existence? Come on, what really happened? Did you- steal it from him?" Ron asked. "Wait, you were at that house again? I don't care if his dad's in Azkaban, his crazy aunt isn't! And you know that - that You-Know-Who was there last summer. How could anyone _let_ you do that?" Ron demanded. "It's probably some sort of trick and the broom's jinxed."

"Draco isn't even at Malfoy Manor. He's at an Order safe house. And sometimes a broom isn't _just a broom_. He didn't want the baggage that went with it." Ginny said sort of vaguely, though Draco would say it was obvious. "And even Lucius Malfoy wouldn't hex a broom meant for his son, and it definitely was meant for Draco. Draco just doesn't want anything to do with it or him. Because Draco doesn't want to be a Death Eater," Ginny let out. And she probably shouldn't have said that, but everyone but Ron was already going to know all about the letter.

"He just turned sixteen," Ron dismissed.

"And I didn't read the letter from his father exactly, but the Order's all read it now, and Draco said that if he'd been at Malfoy Manor, he'd have been forced to take the Dark Mark already, and he's relieved that he's not, and he's scared for his mum. And his life is a lot harder than yours or mine right now," Ginny ranted. "In some ways, it's harder than Harry's."

"But-" Ron didn't seem sure what his objection was. "Okay, just because I don't _really_ think he would be a Death Eater, doesn't mean I'm going to like him. And you can't just believe everything he says, because he's got the strongest motivation to lie to you," Ron said, arms crossed, and trying to stand as tall as he can.

"And what would that be?" Ginny asked.

Ron cringed, "Because he's a bloke who wants to snog you. Which is the grossest thing, by the way," he complained.

"Which part?" Ginny pressed. "That someone wants to snog me, or that I _do_ snog him? Often," Ginny teased.

" _Ginny!_ " Ron whined.

Ginny almost wanted to ask how Ron knew they hadn't done anything more than _just snogging_ \- except then Ron would do his best to never leave her alone again, which she did _not_ want.

"Fine- how about a game of chess?" she suggested, because beating people at chess always cheered Ron, and distracted him.

*****Draco*****

Draco looked up to the knocks on his half open door. "Can I come in?" Dora asked. Draco still wasn't sure what he was supposed to call her, because Ginny said 'Tonks' but that seemed weird when he was living with the elder Tonkses and they called her 'Dora.'

"You're staying the night?" he asked, seeing the witch in her pajamas, mousy brown hair loose around her face. Dora stayed maybe about half the nights, maybe more than that in the days since his birthday. Though they usually didn't say more than nod and say a few words to each other, he was used to her being around, and her parents talked about her even more often when she wasn't there.

"Yeah, Mum and Dad keep my room, so I figured I might as well. It makes them less worried if they can see me. You okay?" she checked.

"I'm fine. Your parents are worried about you?" he asked. Direct worked best in this family, at least with the Hufflepuffs.

"Yeah, it would help if my body wasn't being a stupid mood ring right now. We- hardly met before the whole ugly brown look, but I never look like this- ever." Dora told him what he had already gathered. "So my parents are worried that I'm spiraling deeply into depression, and I've been put on desk work while I recover, which I hate and suck at," she complained.

"Are you- spiraling into depression?" Draco asked. She had been kind to him. Why was she here?

"Not so much spiraling, just sort of… stagnant in persistent unhappiness, I'll call it," she shrugged, sliding down against the wall to sit on the ground. So, she was staying for a while then. And he was indebted to her.

"Anything I can do?" he asked, trying not to sound as reluctant as he felt.

"You wouldn't understand-" she started before she groaned, "which is a bullshit response that adults use when they don't know what to say, so please don't take it personally. I swear I'm not always this old and grumpy."

Draco nodded, for lack of anything better to do.

"But I hope you appreciate that cute little redhead who's crazy about you," she said. "Even if it sucks that you didn't get to choose each other, and I'd totally hate that," she commiserated.

Ah… "Do you want a redhead to be crazy about you?" Draco asked. There were a lot of Weasleys.

Dora laughed, which sounded nice, "No, his hair's more of a sandy brown with some grey," she said.

"Grey?" Draco asked without meaning to.

" _Early grey_ ," she clarified.

"Would I know him?" Draco asked. He knew enough of the old or prominent families, and successful Ministry workers.

"Yeah. And you had better be nice about it. You- had him for a class," she said, staring at her wiggling toes.

Who could that-? "Lupin?" Draco decided quickly. "But he's-" what on earth could he say now?

"A werewolf?" Dora suggested bluntly.

"Well- yeah, _and-_ isn't he- how old are _you_?" Draco asked, because he had no idea. She didn't look very old though. She could probably pass for a seventh year if she wanted to- even without the face-changing thing.

"Twenty-three," she answered. "And he's thirty-six. Maybe he looks a bit older, but transforming every month takes a lot out of a person," she shrugged.

"Have you… tried asking him?" The man probably wouldn't want an attractive young witch to laugh in his face if she was planning on just waiting on him to notice her.

"Yeah, I tried, multiple times. I thought I wasn't direct enough at first, so then I used the words 'I like you' and 'wanna go out on a date?' It didn't go well."

"Does he like men?" Draco asked, the only thing he could think of.

Dora smiled, "No, that would be much less hurtful. I'm even pretty sure he likes me, but he won't say yes."

"So he's crazy then?" Draco asked. Their banter was almost like his with Ginny.

"He says he's too old, too poor, too… werewolf-y," Dora complained.

"Ah- so too _Gryffindor_ ," Draco said, prompting a real, full laugh from Dora.

"I haven't laughed in weeks," she said.

"You don't think he's right then?" Draco asked.

"I'm an auror," she said. "And more importantly actually, I'm a member of the Order. And I'm a danger to myself who the Ministry probably only let in because I can change into whoever I want, and I can't even do that right now. If I live to die of old age, that's a really long time to spend with someone. And if I die in the next oh- anytime between tonight and a hundred years from now, I don't see why my age would matter. And he's in the same position- a werewolf Order member. And especially since Sirius died- and I've got some guilt over that too that I'm trying to deal with. But now I'm like- what's the point of not really living life? When he was younger, Sirius loved life so much- and he got to have so little of it. You know Sirius Black was innocent and our mums' cousin?" Dora checked.

"Yeah," Draco answered.

"He was also Remus's best friend. And I never even talked to him about liking Remus, but I know he would have been for it. I didn't talk to him enough, probably because he was depressing to be around because he hated that place. I didn't even tell Mum about Sirius, because it was an Order secret, and I didn't really want to recruit them- they weren't technically members during the last war, even if they supported Dumbledore and ran in the same crowds. And- I don't know- it was stupid. I just figured there would be time later, and then there wasn't. And I know Mum's confused and hurt and everything because of that. And I had to get the house protected, because Bellatrix wants our family dead. And if I was just a better auror, she'd be in Azkaban or dead, and Sirius wouldn't be. I had been fighting her until I fell over my own feet down a bunch of stone steps. I don't know if I was hit by anything after that, but if I'd never woken up, it would have been my own stupid fault. So, that's also contributing to the depression- strike that, the deep sadness, but I know Sirius wouldn't want it to, and I'm mostly coping with that. I just wish that I could talk to Remus- or spend lots of hours with him _not talking_ \- either way. Does that make sense?"

He really didn't want details about what she wanted to do with the older wizard-werewolf, but it did make sense. "Yeah, it does," Draco agreed anyway.

"It's not just a little crush that's going to go away, you know? My... patronus changed, it's a wolf now. Not a werewolf, just a wolf, but it's for him. Scared me a bit," she said.

"Yeah," Draco said, not knowing what else to say. He thought he had a difficult and complicated life sometimes, but he hadn't been through any of that. He hadn't had any sort of romantic feelings unreturned, and hadn't lost someone either.

"I've- got an opening for a favourite cousin," Dora said, "That's dark humour, ignore it when it makes you uncomfortable."

"Aren't I your only cousin?" Draco asked. "Only close one anyway?" he asked.

"No," Dora said. "Dad has a younger brother with three kids. They're all pretty young and don't know about magic, and I've only seen a few times, but still," she shrugged.

"Thank you," Draco said. "Well- I hope Lupin sees sense, if he's what you really want. Thanks, for arranging me to stay here, and for the talk," he said uncomfortably. He owed the woman a lot.

"Oh, speaking of talks," she grinned. "You and Ginny sure are cute together. Does Dad need to give you a _different sort of talk_?" Dora pressed.

"No!" Draco might have yelped. "Definitely not. We're fine," he said. Why did everyone think they were just about to jump into bed? Dora laughed again, and Draco didn't so much mind her teasing him if it made her happy. It wasn't so bad to have an older cousin on his birthday. "Goodnight, Draco," she said. "And thanks for listening," she added as she walked out of his door.

*****Arthur Weasley*****

Ted and Andromeda Tonks were good people. Their daughter, Tonks, had long been a good friend to his older boys, and was a good member of the Order- if a little… accident prone and eager. And she was being a well-meaning friend to Ginny in this difficult life change. And Ted and Andromeda had been accommodating.

Arthur wished he was just here to see them. The house itself was a wonder, a blend of magical life and muggle things. A real, working tellyvisor! Or at least, Arthur assumed it worked.

"Hello, Arthur, been too long, hasn't it?" Ted greeted as they clasped hands.

"Yes, just that," Arthur agreed.

"Well, I must be off, and Andromeda is already out. Have a good day, Draco," the other man said.

"Yes, Uncle," the boy in question replied politely, and Ted Tonks walked behind Arthur to the floo and off to work. Saint Mungo's, noble profession, the both of them.

And Andromeda had been a Slytherin in their younger days, Arthur tried to keep in mind in the spirit of fairness as he looked at the son of Lucius Malfoy, the Death Eater Arthur personally despised most. The boy seemed much older than when they'd last spoken around Christmas. Which, if anything, made Arthur feel worse.

"Thank you for coming, sir," the boy said.

"Yes, well, I have the day off today. Still plenty of things to do, of course, but bit of free time," Arthur said. He wanted to hear what the boy wanted to say. This boy who his daughter wanted to spend her birthday with in a few days, when a year ago everyone in the house was crying over it, including his little girl. "Have the- run of the place yourself most days, do you?" Arthur fumbled.

"Yes, but there are wards so I can't go outside the property, and no one can come over without their permission," Draco Malfoy detailed. Reasonable precautions, and it was the safest place for a boy who claimed he wanted to be here. But it still must get lonely. Arthur was used to his family of nine, and more. Even when the children were at Hogwarts, Molly was always there.

"Are you- alright by yourself?" Arthur asked despite his- whatever his feelings or intentions were.

"I- would love if Ginny could visit more often, but I'm used to being on my own. I see my Aunt and Uncle more than I did my parents as a child, and I'm not a child any longer," the boy outlined.

"Sixteen," Arthur pointed out.

"Old enough," the boy said.

"Old enough to _what_?" Arthur pressed.

"To- be independent under more normal circumstances. If I didn't have the most evil wizard on earth recruiting me. Old enough to plan for the future," he added.

"A future that will have my _little girl_ in it," Arthur pointed out.

"She's arguably an adult as well. We nearly were married a year ago for that very reason."

"But, thankfully, we live in a world where she's not. And neither are you," Arthur said in a way he wasn't sure sounded mature himself.

"Ginny's happy, isn't she? Happier than I've ever noticed her being," the boy said.

"Happier than she was a year ago this time," Arthur allowed.

"My future does involve Ginny, and I'm glad. We can be happy together. Have a real marriage," this boy declared.

"Time and necessity does change almost everything," Arthur agreed enough. He wanted his little girl to be happy, even with this boy.

"A year can change a lot. The next year may change even more, and it may be difficult to arrange another meeting between us before then, which is why I asked to speak to you now," the boy said without really saying anything. "Thank you for coming."

"And this reason is?" Arthur asked again.

"A proper marriage should have a proper proposal. Not tomorrow. Maybe not in the next year even, but eventually. And as her father, I wanted to seek your blessing for that. And your wife's. Take time for consultation if you need."

It was the way of things, asking permission for courtship, asking permission for marriage. Arthur had done the same years ago. Even if belatedly on both accounts, but his new relatives hadn't known that.

Arthur didn't have any say in the actions, only in his response to them. His little Ginny would get married. If her brothers didn't hurry, she might even get married first. Bill might, but young relationships were difficult to judge how long they would last- without a contract stipulating it. And then Ginny might have children herself. He and Molly would want to be there, through everything, and this might be a pivotal point in that process. On whether or not they would see their grandchildren regularly, or if they would feel lucky to see them an hour a year.

"I don't make a habit of speaking for my wife," Arthur began. "But, you may have my blessing if… you promise to treat my girl with the highest respect you can imagine. And to remember what we talked about at Christmas. She'll still be a child after you're an adult in our world," he tried.

"She's not a child, sir. We're only a year apart. She's at least as mature as I am. She hasn't been a naive little girl since she was eleven, and I blame my father for that too."

It still hurt his heart to think of it.

"I know," he allowed. Ginny and Ron had both been in too many dangerous situations already. He might have thought that Ginny would be safer _not_ dating the Boy-Who-Lived, as much as he and Molly loved Harry. But Ginny was a strong-willed girl who had long since picked her side. And it seemed she had dragged this new boy with her at least as far as into neutral territory. Or maybe the boy wanted to on his own, with enough information and time away from his father.

He had the Tonkses, the boy would be alright.

*****Draco*****

Draco wasn't sure what to think. He'd gotten the blessing because it seemed like the right thing to do. He wasn't ready to talk to Ginny about further in the future than the next Hogsmeade visit, especially when they had spent so much of the last term fighting. But they had to get over it, and to get over the next argument too. It had seemed like the best time for it. And Mr. Weasley certainly took it seriously.

And it wasn't like he'd ever sworn an Unbreakable Vow over any of it. Just a promise to his future father-in-law. It only _felt_ like the same thing.

 **Note: Draco's birthday is listed in places as June 5th, which would be right around the end of term, but that's not in the books, so not canon to me, so it's a bit further into the summer now. All we really know is that he's a summer birthday, because he, like Harry, couldn't take his apparition test when most of the others in their year could.**


	14. Slughorn and Potions

Chapter 14 - Slughorn and Potions

*****Ginny*****

"I don't know why you won't let me go see Draco more often. He's at a _safe house_. It's safe, it's right in the name," Ginny argued yet again.

The house was stuffy, and boring, and depressing, and still not very clean. And she and Draco knew that every note they sent through Tonks would be read, so they didn't really bother saying much. And it was worse with the twins being in on everything instead of in the dark with them.

"Because we're you're family, and we should be together," Her mother went down that path for the dozenth time. They were all family except Percy.

"Draco's going to be my family. And yours too. Will you put up with him then?" Ginny asked. He'd be the father of some of her mother's grandchildren. "We should just go get married now and be done with it," Ginny rashly added. Not where this conversation usually went.

And then her mother cried. Which was Ginny losing the conversation. Mum rarely cried.

Ginny would go in the evening on her birthday, and no one would stop her then, because the Tonkses had invited her personally and were having desserts.

And she never really did anything on her birthday, and it would just be a worse reminder for her parents that their little girl was marrying against her will. Except Ginny was coping better than they were now. Sure, they'd fight, but who didn't? At least no one commented when school letters arrived, and she joined the twins as the non-prefects of the family. Maybe no one noticed.

As predicted, Ginny's birthday was awkward. It was better when they just didn't acknowledge it at all. Harry was there, and had been moping the whole day, like he had been since he arrived, so it was nothing new. Ginny knew the muggles were awful, but Harry really shouldn't have to be in Sirius's house either.

They had cake, and gifts, nothing unusual. No angry owls from the ministry this year.

"Mum, Dad, I'm going to see Draco now," Ginny said calmly when she'd finished the large piece of cake that she hadn't really wanted to eat. They knew she'd been officially invited (in addition to the 'come over any time that we are home' policy that Ginny had never gotten to accept). She had never actually been told she could go, but it was her birthday, and she was leaving.

No one stopped her. At least there weren't tears.

*****Draco*****

Ginny was more beautiful than when he'd last seen her. Maybe fifteen seemed like a better age than fourteen.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey yourself," she said back.

Draco probably looked stupid staring at her.

The last time they were together they had snogged really heavily in Draco's favourite chair. Or, it was his favourite chair after that.

Uncle Ted brought out a variety of muggle sweats, which Ginny tried nearly all of, even after saying she was 'stuffed.' She was endearing.

Aunt Andromeda gave ginny bright blue dress robes, saying how lovely they would look with her hair. And they would. They were a bit like the blue dress Ginny had worn in the first of the pictures she'd given him. She would have looked best in Slytherin green, Draco thought. But anything other than Gryffindor red. Or 'scarlet' as some insisted.

The Hollyhead Harpies shirt that Draco gave Ginny was dark green. Ginny was so excited that she ran to the loo to change. There was something to be said for muggle influence on clothing. Much more… figure flattering than robes. And her shorts didn't even cover half her thighs. Draco hadn't even had a word for the article of clothing before Ginny. Students didn't have to wear their uniform robes after dinner, in the common room, or on weekends, but most Slytherins didn't own much of anything but robes. There were charms to make wind and cold not a problem, and first years from those families came to Hogwarts already knowing them.

"Having a good birthday?" Draco asked her when the 'adults' left to 'tend to the kitchen,' which meant that they wanted to give Draco and Ginny some privacy, but not too much privacy.

They moved to the sitting room.

"Better now," Ginny said. She sat in his lap in _their_ chair. He thought of it like that, especially now. "A little tense at home, but not bad. My birthday's always weird."

"Better than last year?" he joked.

"Hmmmm" Ginny pretended to consider. "Much less eventful. No mean Ministry owl, screaming, crying, no being in my room, unresponsive to the world in denial," she shrugged. "I'm happy now."

"And why were your birthdays always weird?" Draco asked. His birthdays were his favourite time as a child. Getting everything he wanted, and his parents' undivided attention. Better than Christmas.

"Not always just- since I was eleven. Promise you're not going to be grumpy when you're jealous?" Ginny checked with him.

So it had something to do with Potter.

"Hard to be jealous at the moment," he said, squeezing his arms around her. It was true enough.

"So, as long as I can remember as a kid, I had a crush on- this idea I had of the Boy-Who-Lived, yeah? And then he was real- this boy I saw for a few minutes at King's Cross, even though I didn't know who he was, and he became my brother's best friend. And he was there, in my house over the next summer, and I couldn't make a real sentence around him without making a fool of myself. So I asked for no birthday celebration. And he was also at our house before my second and third year too. By the time it was last year, I really didn't care. _Really_ ," she said with emphasis. "But I also didn't want to ask them to change, because that would just be more uncomfortable."

"Yeah," Draco replied.

It was harder to be jealous of Potter when he knew the only reason the boy was at the Weasley house was because Potter's muggle family didn't want him. No one told him, but the signs were all there. Potter didn't know things about the Wizarding world that he should have. His muggle clothes were atrocious. He always stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas. But sometimes Draco did too. He wouldn't go to the manor again, not while Tom lived. Draco was hiding somewhere his parents weren't even supposed to know where he was. But even his murderer father loved him. It just wasn't enough.

The Weasley children were… fortunate in some ways that Draco hadn't understood as a child. And Potter was lucky to have them. But Draco had Ginny. And his aunt and uncle. His _muggleborn_ uncle by marriage who didn't say much seriously and joked often, and seemed to really love his life, and welcomed Draco into it. Draco thought that Andromeda had probably been a lot like him when she was young. But maybe not, because she hadn't needed a marriage contract to leave her family. Not that Draco had left his family, really.

"Where would you like to live?" Draco asked, because he wanted a different conversation. "Between quidditch trips with whichever team is lucky enough to have you," he added, because it couldn't hurt to lay the compliments on thickly on her birthday. And he believed in her potential. She needed more time to practice, and on a proper broom. And he said it because no one would hear, except perhaps his aunt and uncle, and they would think it to be endearing.

*****Ginny*****

"Want to grab a compartment?" Ginny offered. Harry looked a little lost as Hermione and Ron headed off to the prefect meeting- which Draco would be at too.

"Sure, yeah," Harry shrugged, walking onto the train.

They were on good terms, almost had to be after something like the Ministry, but Harry was dealing with a lot of stuff. And he maybe had a crush or something like it on Ginny, so Ginny mostly gave him space.

"I'm going to look for Luna and Neville," Ginny said. "You find a place and we'll find you?" she darted off. Maybe she could catch Draco before his meeting- who she was really after.

"Ginny!" a boy called as if they were friends. The most annoying member of the DA. Ginny was actually surprised that Zacharias Smith hadn't been the one who sold them out. Maybe he had a shred of Hufflepuff loyalty, but Ginny didn't think it was much. 'Taking the rest' was a nice, noble Hufflepuff sentiment, as the sorting hat had said the year before. But it landed them with a few... unlikable characters like Smith. Not many though.

"Hey," Ginny responded, because she didn't want to be rude. "Have you seen Luna?" she asked, so she'd have something to say.

"You're looking for Lovegood and Longbottom then?" he asked. "The _Ministry Six_ some people are calling you. The Gryffindor Trio and the other three of you. Though I suppose five of you are Gryffindor really. What _really_ happened there, really? I'm surprised those of us in the DA didn't hear the real story," the irritating boy pressed. Calling her an 'other' while pumping her for information. If she heard 'really' one more time.

"We went there, ran into some trouble, got some help, and then the whole world saw," Ginny said. "It was scary and not glamorous, so you shouldn't be jealous," she shot back. As if Zacharias Smith wanted to be in a duel, much less a... battle.

"But why did you go there? How did you _know_ to go there, and why were the Death Eaters there?" the boy pressed. "What made any of you want to break into a top secret department of the Ministry? What's being hidden down there, any did Potter want it and the Death Eaters caught him?" For being so secret, it really hadn't been difficult to invade, not that she was going to tell Smith that.

Harry had a fake vision that Tom gave him to lure Harry there to save his godfather- who ended up dying anyway. She really wasn't going to say that.

"If we'd wanted to say everything, we would have put it in the paper," Ginny snapped.

"How'd you- and especially _Lovegood_ go, and not the rest of the DA?" he asked.

Was he _serious?_

" _You?_ Want to face down Death Eaters trying to kill you? You ready to face _Him_?" Because calling him 'Tom' felt too... something here, and she wouldn't call him anything else.

"No, but you aren't either," Zacharias protested. "We're the same year. You don't know any more spells than I do."

Ginny was almost silent with her bat bogey hex now. It was her signature move.

Zacharias Smith gasped, rolling on the floor, then he started screaming. It wasn't as satisfying as Ginny had expected, and now she was scared of getting caught.

The spell was cancelled without Ginny lifting it- which she should have already done.

This had to be the new Defence teacher. He took up most of the hallway and looked grandfatherly.

"Well that was an impressive display of a spell not many your age would know. Perhaps, young man, you shouldn't harass such a fiery young witch," the man announced.

 _Fiery hair, fiery temper_ , it was an annoying thing people said that was true enough in most of her family, but it still wasn't a great descriptor. But, if this man didn't want to get her in trouble, then the new teacher could say just about whatever he wanted.

"Run along, child," the strange professor instructed to the gaping Zacharias Smith. Worth it.

"Young lady, I have a lunch I would like to invite you to," the Defence professor said, pulling out an envelope. "I am gathering a group of promising young people to dine with, you see, and I think you would be a promising addition. Forgive my introduction, I am Horace Slughorn, your newest professor, and I quite look forward to having you in my class," he said, beaming.

"Ginny Weasley," Ginny introduced herself.

"Oh!" Slughorn said. "Yes, I had heard there was a Weasley girl at last. Well, woman now, I suppose. Interesting situation you find yourself in, isn't it, your betrothal?" the old wizard said, more curious over her than ever.

It was easy to have the measure of him. He was the type who wouldn't be interested in her family because they were poor, and wouldn't be interested in Draco's family because his father was in prison. But Ginny was an 'interesting' mix of both, a spotless reputation, association with Harry Potter, and a future with money in it. She liked the man just a bit, because he had been interested in her in her own merit before he heard her name. And, he wasn't going to give her detention. But, he wasn't someone she wanted to spend a lot of time with. And no Defence teacher lasted long anyway. She hoped he was competent enough to help her year with their O.W.L. preparations.

"Yes, my life is quite interesting," Ginny answered, running her fingers over the smooth envelope. "Have a good morning, professor," she said in leaving.

She'd have missed Draco for sure by now, so she might as well find Luna, Neville, and Harry.

*****Draco*****

Riding the train again was… going to be even worse than last year. He went to the stupid prefect meeting- mostly because being a prefect was the thing that let him walk around after seeing Ginny after curfew without repercussions.

Pansy didn't look at Draco anymore, which was just fine with him. She was hanging on Theo's arm at the station, Draco noticed, so that was possibly at thing, though Theo shoved her off quickly, so maybe Pansy just wanted it to be that way, or to look that way.

Weasley- Ron Weasley- was trying to ignore Draco too. They hadn't talked much in the last year. If they didn't bother Draco, Draco wouldn't bother th- except for the song he invented to distract Weasley. And Weasley had talked at him in the hospital wing when Weasley seemed drunk off some injury.

Granger was almost smiling at him- at Draco.

The meeting was even more useless than the last year's, since he already knew everything prefects did. Draco slipped out as quickly as he could.

He hadn't even seen Ginny before the meeting. And maybe he didn't care what the other Slytherins... that was overly suspicious thinking. It was perfectly expected for him to spend some time with his betrothed. And he wanted to see Ginny.

Draco almost groaned aloud when he saw the other occupants of the compartment, Longbottom, Lovegood, and Potter. Lovegood was bearable. Longbottom was glaring at him. They'd never been on good terms. Draco always got the impression that Longbottom hated him for his family, even though Draco hadn't known the reason why back then. And Draco... gave the first year boy real reasons to dislike him, the remembrall incident only the first. And Potter... Draco had offered friendship back then. His father had encouraged the alliance until it was clear that Potter was just Dumbledore's pawn. The biggest pawns were Death Eaters, and then their children for listening to them.

"Draco!" Ginny bounced up happily and hugged him. Draco enjoyed Potter's head turning away in disgust, until Draco focused properly on Ginny. Ginny deserved his attention.

"Hey," he said.

"Wanna get out of here?" she offered.

He didn't want to spend hours in a compartment with Potter and Longbottom, and the other Weasley and Granger would complete the set shortly.

"Yeah," he said, even though he didn't know where they would go. He didn't want to see his Slytherin year mates sooner than he had to either.

"I don't think you'll find an empty compartment this late," Luna observed. "I've never even spent the whole ride alone," she shrugged.

"Draco can scare out some second years," Ginny said dismissively.

"Ginny!" Neville yelped. Potter coughed.

"It was a joke," Ginny laughed. But it didn't sound like a bad idea.

Ginny walked with him down the hallway anyway.

First years, more first years. Younger Slytherins, younger- probably Gryffindors.

The next one was perfect.

"If you're quick, I won't tell your heads of house," Draco announced in introduction.

Wide-eyed children sprung apart from their snogging. They must have been third years, maybe some in fouth year. None of them Slytherin. Slytherin was an inclusive- or rather reclusive- house.

"Any from your house?" Draco asked when the children were gone.

"A few. Didn't they seem so young? Do we look like that- to adults?" Ginny asked.

Draco shrugged, "Probably, but it's our lives, not theirs."

Draco put up enough privacy wards that an older student might think- that they were doing more than snogging and talking.

"I missed you," Draco admitted when they came up from their first, very long kiss.

"Me too," Ginny answered. "So, I got an invitation to a lunch with the new Defence professor. He- seemed impressed when I hexed Zacharias Smith for being annoying. You probably don't know who Smith is, but he's in my year and was- in the DA, but he's also probably my least favourite person in the castle."

"Your least favourite person isn't a Slytherin?" Draco questioned, not ready to respond regarding the lunch.

"Hufflepuff, yeah, I'm surprised too," she stuck her tongue out. "So, I'm going to this lunch with the weird professor. Seems like we wants to... collect people. Harry got an invitation too, and he'd met the professor before. But it seems rude not to go? I could ask if you can come too?" she offered.

Draco realized that he didn't need to go, didn't even want to go. It all sounded too much like Ministry politics.

"It's fine," Draco brushed off. "I find myself- wishing to distance myself from those only interested in my family name, and no more eager than to associate with those who would judge me because of it," he said. It was practically a prepared speech from tumbling around in his mind. The man had to be a Slytherin.

"That's great, really. I guess I'll just go see Slughorn and see what it's about. With the name Slughorn, it's actually too easy to make names for him, you know?" Ginny shrugged.

"Slughorn?" Draco asked. "Horace Slughorn?" he clarified.

"Yeah, he's the new Defence teacher," Ginny told him.

"Unlikely," Draco frowned, following the thought to its logical conclusion, which meant that Severus... "He was the Head of Slytherin house when both of my parents were in school. He is somewhat famous, not for his own accomplishments, but for his connections. He wouldn't be a bad person for you to associate with," Draco said. "But he was- their Potions professor. I don't imagine he is a man qualified to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, which would lead me to believe-"

"That Snape got the job," Ginny completed. "Or the sack," she added.

If Severus - If Snape- was the Defence teacher… no teacher had made it through a year in decades. Which was a strange thing for Dumbledore to do with his spy. But, Dumbledore was the same man who had hired Lockheart, a werewolf, a disguised Death Eater...

"How was the rest of your summer?" Draco asked instead, allowing his other thoughts to simmer.

*****Ginny*****

Ginny almost wished she hadn't come to the lunch. Except the food was good and free, and Neville and Harry were there.

Slughorn didn't talk to her as much as some, but she wasn't shunned like Marcus Belby after the boy said he didn't know his uncle who invented Wolfsbane Potion very well.

Ginny had vaguely known of Cormac McLaggen before, a seventh year Gryffindor. He was sort of cute, and well connected, as Slughorn clearly knew. He'd dated an older Gryffindor girl last year, and then a girl in Ginny's year. And he'd probably dated girls from other houses too. The Gryffindor girls in his own year probably knew him too well to want to date him, Ginny would guess.

And Zabini kept looking at her, appraisingly. His mother had a reputation for marrying men and them dying of 'ordinary circumstances,' adding to her personal wealth. Draco talked less about Blaize Zabini than the other boys in his year.

Ginny didn't like when Slughorn started in on Harry- not entirely dissimilarly to what Smith had gotten her hex for. She and Harry were still friends, and had been through a lot together by now.

"We never heard a prophesy!" Neville piped up. Slughorn hadn't really talked to Neville much either.

"That's right, we were at the Ministry too. You can't trust anything the Prophet says. In fact, the Quibbler was the one with the true story first. My friend Luna Lovegood, the daughter of the owner and operator of the Quibbler, says they intend to put more articles like that too. Luna was with us, and my brother Ron, and Hermione Granger," Ginny listed out all of them who had gotten less recognition.

Zabini scoffed, but Slughorn seemed interested.

"Having a link to the press is a wise decision, Harry, even in less... traditional ways," Slughorn said. And then he was talking about another of his lofty contacts, but Ginny cared more this time, because it was Gwenog Jones, who had been Ginny's hero since childhood.

*****Draco*****

Potter.

They had hardly started classes, and Draco already wanted to strangle Potter- nothing new there.

How the hell had Potter managed a potion better than Draco's own and Granger's? The idiot couldn't follow a list of directions if his life depended on it. And he didn't have the feel for it, or the best stirring techniques. He must have… diverted from the instructions in some way- the way Snape had said masters do- except it would have been an accident on Potter's part.

And as tense as being in Snape's presence was at times, Draco didn't like having someone else as a potions instructor. Slughorn didn't seem as attentive, or talented.

And if the man had only used Felix Felicis twice in his life, it was so _fortunate_ that the man just happened to have a potion that took six months to brew on hand when he agreed to return to teaching potions. And from the rumours Draco had heard, the man had been staying hidden since well before Tom's return was well known to the public. So, either the potion was a fake that he threw together to look impressive, or the man was brewing it whenever he could, and living on that luck himself, or selling it.

*****Ginny*****

"I hear you won some luck," Ginny said, to a rather grumpy looking Harry. So, maybe she was curious after hearing Draco's take on the story. Hermione wasn't there, and Ginny wondered for a moment if the other witch was jealous and sulking as Draco was. Probably not, unless Harry had done something wrong, cheated somehow. Perhaps Harry always had had a great talent in potions and had just been held back by his animosity with Snape. "What are you going to use it on, try to win back Cho?" Ginny suggested.

Harry made a face that the Ravenclaw girl probably didn't deserve.

"No," Harry answered.

Ginny pressed on cheerfully, if only just to spite him. "Yeah, it was never really the right time for the two of you. It's not either of your faults, really. But hmmm…" she pretended to ponder more deeply than she was. "George and Angelina still write all the time, so I consider myself a proven match maker. I could see you with…" Ginny considered. None of the Gryffindors in Harry's year, and yet Harry seemed like the sort who might need another Gryffindor, at least at this point in his life. And the girls in Ginny's year felt so young. "Katie," Ginny declared with some confidence. It didn't sound like a bad match, really.

"Katie Bell?" Harry asked, as if Katie Bell wasn't the only Katie he knew.

"Yes, Katie Bell. She's mature, and you've known her for years, and you have quidditch in common. She joined the DA and never thought you were crazy or a murderer… seems like good traits to me," Ginny concluded.

"You also just described Angelina, and Alicia, and Cho, and you," Harry pointed out.

That was… weird to hear. But it didn't make her heart race like it would have even a year ago- maybe even four months ago. It was just awkward.

"Yeah, well, Angelina and I are seeing people, and like I said, I don't know that Cho was a bad match, just bad circumstances. And write to Alicia if you want," Ginny shrugged. "But it would be easier to get to know Katie better, since she's here. And there's nothing wrong with convenience being a factor. You're not really likely to marry whoever you date when you're sixteen. And, Katie's two best friends left Hogwarts, so she's probably lonely," Ginny said. It was something she'd considered already herself, since she spent quite a lot of time with people in the year above her, including Draco.

"Just think about it," Ginny suggested. "So, how'd you do it?"

"Do what?" Harry responded.

"Win the liquid luck. Your history in potions class is not exactly stellar. Or did you figure out it was all Snape's fault?" she offered.

"I-" Harry looked around. "I followed instructions like everyone else. My book just happened to have better advice," he shrugged.

Ginny frowned, "Who wrote in your book?" she asked.

"I'll try to find out. I sure it was a boy. He called himself the Half-blood Prince," Harry said casually.

This made Ginny immediately angry. "You're following directions scribbled into a book, and you don't even know who wrote them?" Ginny seethed. More angry than she expected. "How different is this really from the diary?" Ginny dared ask. It was the most casually she'd ever talked about the thing.

"No, no," Harry said quickly. "This is nothing magical, just written by a person," Harry fumbled stupidly.

"Tom's a _person_. What if some change in the potions instructions made you blow up the whole class, hmm?" Ginny asked. Was that even crazy? Ginny didn't know how dangerous something brewed in a NEWTs potions class might be. They weren't first years anymore.

"It was just little things," Harry defended himself. "Like a better way to get the juice out of a sopo- out of a bean better." Harry said, showing how little he'd learned in Potions if he couldn't remember an ingredient an hour later. "Nothing that was going to hurt anyone." And how would he know that if he didn't even know what kind of bean it was?

"Fine," Ginny falsely conceded. If he wanted to do something stupid, Ginny wasn't going to be the one to convince him not to. It was partially her own sensitivities- about another half-blood who altered a book a few decades ago. Except Tom would never brag about being a half-blood.

And if she stayed in the messy-haired boy's presence any longer, the next months and years would be even more uncomfortably tense, because she would do something rash.

She needed more activity in her life, to punch or hex something.


	15. Poison

Chapter 15- Poison

*****Ginny*****

Sitting at tables designated by house was imbecilic. As if they didn't spend enough time together already. Students rarely knew anyone well from other houses, even those they occasionally shared classes with. And Draco hadn't seemed to have a real conversation with anyone at a meal in days. Not that the Slytherins in his year were people Ginny _wanted_ Draco to be friends with… Crabbe and Goyle were a definite no, and Nott seemed really quiet. And Blaize Zabini was irritating to be around, she'd learned from the first "Slug Club" and she'd heard nothing positive about Pansy Parkinson ever… but there were probably some other decent Slytherins somewhere. She didn't know anything about the other girls in Draco's year, and there were a few of them. Gryffindors and Slytherins in her own year mostly just stayed away from each other. Slytherin was such an insular house. But, Ginny probably wouldn't know anyone outside of her year well either, if it hadn't been for her brothers and the DA. And quidditch, but the Slytherins on the quidditch team didn't seem like the nicest people either.

"Get Poppy," Professor McGonagall shrieked.

Ginny whipped her head around to the Head Table.

Professor Dumbledore was bent over, hand at his throat. His goblet was lying spilled on the table. Was he choking?

Hagrid ran from the room in the proper direction. Flitwick, conjured a Patronus that he started talking to, and that would get to her faster. "Severus, do something," McGonagall ordered next, though the… enigmatic man was already examining their headmaster. "Prefects, clear the hall!" she gave yet another order, one that even Hermione Granger looked mutinous at following.

But they all left the hall, Dumbledore making rasping sounds, and Snape doing something over him.

"Someone's actually trying to kill Dumbledore," Ron said in astonishment. Ginny followed the three of them to their normal places by the fire. Because, if anyone knew anything, it was Harry, who talked with Dumbledore the most. And, if anyone could figure it out without much information to go on, it was Hermione.

"That… does seem likely," Hermione acknowledged.

"There's a Death Eater in Hogwarts, maybe just Snape. If he can't fix him, it's him," Harry said, standing to pace again.

Dumbledore was poisoned, and he was old. He might not make it no matter what any wizard, or any witch did.

"Professor Dumbledore trusts Professor Snape, and we have to believe that he has good reason, or we don't trust Professor Dumbledore at all," Hermione said, and it wasn't the first or the dozenth time she had said something like it.

"Well, sometimes I don't really trust _him_ either," Harry threw up his hands. "Oh, I know Dumbledore's good and all, but he doesn't tell anyone anything. He just asks for things that are really difficult, and doesn't give hardly any advice. When he could just say some things plainly and save everyone the trouble."

"Such as?" Ginny pressed quietly. Harry looked at her, shocked, probably realizing she was there for the first time. Harry had been meeting with Dumbledore, for Occlumency lessons, but it sounded like the contained more than just that. Maybe they weren't even Occlumency lessons at all.

"Like- like in my first year, after I woke up after the Philosopher's Stone, he basically said that he knew I'd go after it. But he could have just told me what was really going on. He must have known it was Quirrell, because Snape did, and he could have just taken care of it," Harry ranted. Yes, the Headmaster should have confided everything about an incredibly valuable artifact to an eleven-year-old…

Though surely he could have found grounds to fire Quirrell, though maybe he preferred to keep the man insight- and around hundreds of children… there were admittedly questionable decisions involved.

"Harry, just bringing that up shows an example of Professor Snape being loyal to Professor Dumbledore, and yet you _persist_ in mistrusting him despite all evidence," Hermione reiterated.

Ron was silent. Ginny had noticed that the older he got, the less Ron talked in arguments when he didn't think it was really important- unless he was angry enough to do it anyway. It was practically wisdom, considering the child he'd been. So, here, Ron agreed with either Harry or Hermione, but didn't want to fight with the other about it. Which resulted in both of them being somewhat annoyed at him, but it could be worse in a fight amongst Gryffindors.

"If it's not Snape, it's got to be one of the older Slytherins. Like Malfoy, because we know his father would want it," Harry rattled off. Ginny gritted her teeth. She had tried to adopt a policy of ignoring when one of the 'boys,' Harry or Draco, insulted the other. She hadn't even mentioned the damn potions book to Draco, because it wasn't her business or his. But calling Draco a Death Eater wasn't just a stupid insult. The world cared about what Harry Potter thought these days, and Draco didn't need a more difficult life.

"Draco's not a Death Eater," was all Ginny was going to say about it.

Harry looked skeptical, like she was a child, when she was barely a year younger than he was. "Well, maybe he didn't have much of a choice," Harry at least acknowledged. "They could have threatened him or his family."

"Draco's my boyfriend," Ginny said more firmly. "I'd notice if he suddenly had a Dark Mark on his arm. It wasn't a fool proof argument- someone could follow Tom without getting the Mark, though she didn't think they'd have been talked with killing Dumbledore without it.

"His father kept his hidden for at least sixteen years," Harry said, thinking he was so clever. "Wizards' robes have long sleeves, and Malfoy wears them, even on _Sundays_ ," Harry said. Because he'd noticed Draco's fashion choices. Uniforms were generally treated as optional on days without classes, but most purebloods didn't own anything besides robes. Harry usually wore robes too, but Ginny knew what Harry's muggle clothes looked like, and had an idea of why he didn't have many that fit him well. And that sympathy wasn't helping when she was irritated with him.

"From most people. Narcissa would have seen it and known. Trust me, I know he's not a Death Eater. He hasn't even seen his father in over a year. He only saw his mother once over the summer, and Tonks was there too," Ginny hissed, with as few personal details as she thought she could while still being convincing.

"Woah, woah, no. You are _not_ his wife. What are you doing seeing… anything under Malfoy's robes, Ginny?" Ron demanded. Because fighting with family was way easier than fighting with Harry or Hermione. Family would love you back and forgive you no matter what. Though Percy was really testing that.

"Oh, _grow up_ ," Ginny shot back, which didn't sound as mature as she had envisioned. "I said I'd seen his _arms_ , not his genitals," she said for shock value. "Though, that is none of your business," which seemed to be her new favourite line.

What Harry did was none of her business. What she did was none of anyone's business, except sometimes Draco's. Her favourite phrase these days. Ron was sputtering, Harry had turned around entirely, so she couldn't see his face, and Hermione was more surprised than Ginny had ever seen her. It was all in the eyes. And maybe Ginny would talk to Hermione about it later.

"But if you trust me, take my word that Draco isn't and would never be a Death Eater. It might be one of the other Slytherins with a Death Eater parent, or it could be anyone else in the castle- or someone who could have access with the kitchens without suspicion. Narrow thinking is what persecutes the Snapes and misses the Quirrells. And the Pettigrews. And beyond that, every evil person isn't a Death Eater, like Lockheart, or Umbridge," Ginny formulated very logically.

"So yeah, we know nothing. What good does knowing _nothing_ do us?" Harry grumbled.

"It's an honest, unclouded starting point," Ginny said.

"You think you're unclouded?" Harry dared. Even Ron darted eyed towards him.

"No, I don't. But thank you for listening to my experience and viewpoint," she said, walking towards the portrait hole and not looking back. As if Harry had actually listened. But, maybe he would now. And no one was going to find out anything hiding in their common rooms. If it had been a Slytherin's fault, Draco might have a better guess.

*****Draco*****

What would happen to the school if Albus Dumbledore died? What would happen to everyone who stood against Tom Riddle? Draco had never had reason to like the man before, but it had been worse without him, when Umbridge threatened torture on students.

"Dobby!" Draco called, deciding that an elf might know what had happened in the kitchens.

The elf appeared before Draco instantly.

"Dobby, what's happening in the kitchens?" Draco asked.

"Dobby must return to be preparing supper!" the elf declared.

"Dobby, that already happened. We already ate," Draco said slowly. Though, Draco could eat more food, he had lost his appetite for anything prepared in the kitchens.

"Dobby… made dinner?" the elf asked, suddenly looking scared. "Poison," he whispered, and charged at the nearest wall before Draco could stop him.

"Dobby, Dobby, Dobby!" Draco called repeatedly. The elf had bashed his overly large head three times before Draco had arms wrapped around the elf and dragged him away. "Dobby, someone must have done something to you. What happened?" Draco asked, heart racing as he knelt, essentially hugging the creature. It would look strange if someone happened upon that classroom.

"Dobby poison!" the elf wailed, and then gasped, "Master Dumbledore!"

"You don't have a master, right?" Draco tried. "You're a free elf?"

"Dobby is a baaad free elf. Dumbledore is being almost Dobby's master."

"It can't be your fault. Do you remember who hexed you, Dobby? Did you see him? Or her?" Draco added.

"Dobby doesn't know. Dobby baaad elf," the poor creature whined.

"Do you know anything else, can you think of anything else? What kind of poison was it?" Draco just thought.

"Dobby doesn't know. It was there. Dobby doesn't know!"

"The container, do you still have it? Can you get it?" Draco asked. Because he was now trying to save a man that… hadn't really ever done anything to hurt Draco. Dumbledore was probably in some way responsible for Draco having a safe summer. He would have had to have agreed to it at least. And, as tense as the Slytherin dormitory was, Draco was not a Death Eater.

"No! No, gone!" Dobby shrieked. "Bad Dobby, bad Dobby!"

"Dobby, I want you to go to Come and Go Room and not leave unless I call you, or Albus Dumbledore does himself," Draco said. "Or it's been more than a day and you need something the room can't give you," Draco added, because it occurred to him that if Draco was poisoned himself, he wouldn't want the elf to suffer worse- it was a strangely selfless thought. "Can you do that for me, Dobby?"

"Why is Little Master asking Dobby this?" Dobby asked, even more distressed.

"Because I want to help you, Dobby," he said. Which was the wrong thing to say based on the sobbing. "Dobby, Dobby, quiet!" Draco pleaded. "Do it for me. Everyone knows you were my family's elf, so they will think that _I_ made you do it," Draco reasoned- which he really should have considered earlier.

That had the elf standing straight, "Little Master would never!" he objected.

"That's right, I wouldn't do that to you, but can you go hide for me?" he asked. "And you can't hurt yourself further, because I might need your help," Draco commanded. When it was to protect Draco, the house elf nodded vigorously on his spindly little neck and was gone.

Draco allowed himself two peaceful breaths before striding towards the Hospital Wing. He didn't know any other elves to call them to get him there faster, and he needed the time to collect his thoughts. Even if he had no real information, he couldn't say nothing if it could help the Headmaster- and therefore Dobby. The matron had been rather accepting of him the previous term.

Draco was faintly surprised at his relief at seeing the Head of Gryffindor looking irritated outside of the ward. Irritated meant not in mourning, and treatment was ongoing. The sometimes fierce matron must have removed McGonagall from the room. Hagrid stood a bit back as well, looking too large, as always, to belong inside, except in the Great Hall.

McGonagall had been honest with Draco when Mr. Weasley had been attacked.

"I need to speak with you privately," Draco said to the older witch. He knew nothing to tell the Matron, he had decided. She would have long ago reasoned that the food was poisoned, and he knew nothing more. Though there were so many other questions he should have asked of the elf, he couldn't now until he was assured of Dobby's safety. He didn't think that these people would be too harsh on an unwitting elf, but these were witches and wizards without their leader.

"I am rather occupied at the moment, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said, despite that she was clearly agonizing over something she could not control and doing nothing particularly important.

"Yes, and I may know something about that," Draco said, which he thought should have been obvious.

Draco hadn't anticipated being hoisted into the air by his robes the next moment. How could he be so slow and the oaf so fast? Draco had never seen any particular reason to care one wit for the half-giant, and this was not improving matters.

"Hagrid, put him down!" the Transfiguration professor shrieked, Draco now having her full attention at last.

The man who was supposedly responsible for teaching Draco a class for three years demanded, "What d' you know about Albus Dumbledore get'in- get'n _poisoned_?" the brute demanded, though Draco did at the least find himself on the ground again.

"Hagrid, that is enough," McGonagall chided as if he were a child. He was essentially an overgrown child, and everyone had seemingly always treated him as such. Perhaps he would have grown past it if people treated him more like a man. It didn't make Draco like the oaf. "Can you stay here waiting for Poppy's updates?" she pressed, giving him a task.

The half-giant nodded, looking lost.

"This way, Mr. Malfoy," the old witch called, and Draco was more that willing to leave that particular corridor.

"While I do not in any way condone H- Professor Hagrid's approach, I do need to know everything you know- or suspect- about Professor Dumbledore's condition," the Scottish woman said firmly.

Wasn't it obvious that if Draco hadn't wished to say anything, he wouldn't have come to the hospital wing looking for the Deputy Headmistress?

"Hagrid is fiercely loyal to Albus," the woman said with an air of apology.

Draco nodded, "Dumbledore allowed him to stay at the school after he was expelled under false pretenses," Draco decided to display a bit of what he knew. He also knew that Hagrid was a fourteen-year-old half-giant at the time, and an orphan- or at least, without his wizard father. Draco had learned everything he possibly could about both times the Chamber of Secrets had been opened in living memory.

It gave Draco- some measure of sympathy for the man, but Rubeus Hagrid was a horribly overgrown child unfit to be a professor, and Draco would stand by that against any objector- not that there were many in the castle. Draco would bet that NEWT Care of Magical Creatures students were lower than in past years.

McGonagall looked curious but nodded. Would Minerva McGonagall have been a student herself at the time of the last opening? Draco knew more than any other student at Hogwarts, he would wager, about the lives of nearly every key official in their society. What he knew of Minerva McGonagall amounted to her half-blood blood status, and a brief marriage to her former employer at the Ministry, though the witch was now widowed for decades without remarriage or children.

"Someone cursed a house elf and made it do the poisoning," Draco said. "I believe with the Imperious Curse," he said because house elf magic was quite strong and would surely be difficult to overpower with less force. "It was not at fault in any way and doesn't know who cursed it," Draco said. He hadn't thought of Dobby as an "it" in some time, about a year.

"And you know this how, exactly, Mr. Malfoy?" the old witch asked skeptically.

"I have spoken with the elf, and there is no more useful information that will come from it in its distressed state," Draco said, chin held high. It was probably even true, though he should have tried harder, come up with more questions.

"Draco Malfoy protecting a house elf?" the woman questioned, though she didn't seem overly surprised. "What would your father say?"

"I am certain that you know that I haven't seen my father in well over a year. You might also know that I have not so much as written to him in nearly as long. And that was a single Christmas card that was truly to my mother."

"And what has caused this separation?" the woman pried.

There wasn't much harm in telling her. She already knew. Adults enjoyed hearing confirmed what they already knew, especially teachers. Teachers that weren't Severus Snape at least.

"Because I love and will marry Ginny Weasley, and my father has nearly caused her death twice," Draco answered.

"And ideological differences?"

"I generally believe killing people and other intelligent beings to be wrong, yes."

"So, the elf cursed was your family's former house elf, one called Dobby," the woman stated.

"Why… would I associate with a disgraced former slave?" Draco said uncomfortably. Unconvincingly, damn it.

"I believe you will find that the Headmaster and I know nearly everything that… happens in these halls," she said.

Draco decided not to mention the obvious, that if either of them knew as much as they thought, the Headmaster wouldn't have been poisoned. Unless the man was more addled than even Draco thought.

"And where is the elf now?" she questioned.

"He's safe," Draco replied, which wasn't going to earn him favour with the witch.

"If you did not trust me with this, Mr. Malfoy, you would not have sought my attention."

The old witch knew a few things.

*****Ginny*****

People could move on so quickly. Once Dumbledore attended dinners again, no one even talked about it. It only took three days, though Dumbledore looked horrible, he was there again.

Draco had told her everything he'd known- which Ginny would have passed along to her brother and Hermione and Harry if she wasn't still annoyed with them- or at least with the boys. But Hermione would have just told them.

Draco was so protective of the little elf. He would be a good father. Later. After Ginny had a successful quidditch career. Though the seasons were not year around, and younger women recovered more quickly, didn't they? She would be perfectly safe flying while pregnant if not for the bludgers. Perhaps light practice in the off season...

*****Draco*****

"Mr. Malfoy, you are incapable of remaining unnoticed. You might have been a Gryffindor," Draco's head of house declared, a supreme insult. They were, of course, alone. Severus would have known that Draco talked to McGonagall then. Unless he was bothered by something else.

"So, I'm supposed to be _you_ , not helping anyone and no one knowing who you truly serve? I think you work only for yourself," Draco dared say. Because he was… because he had known this man for longer than he could remember. But the same was true for many others who he trusted not at all.

"It is a balance than any Slytherin walks if they do not themselves wish to _be_ the Dark Lord. Even among the self-righteous Gryffindors, one can never quite know where they stand with another person."

"Use Legilimency then," Draco dared then. "You know I'm not good enough to stop you when you really try," Draco goaded, feeling young and helpless. When the matter was pressed, Severus Snape could know exactly what side Draco was on, which was a ridiculous dichotomy, because Draco wasn't on anyone's _side_ , because he wasn't fighting in some war that could get him and anyone he had ever cared about killed. But his father was already in it, on one side, and even his mother. And Ginny was on the other, and Tonks, and Andromeda and Ted. And Severus Snape, spy for two sides, knowing what Draco thought couldn't possibly make Draco safer, but he almost wanted…

" _Legilimens_."

 _Ripping_ , pain. Draco could barely think enough to realize that the man had held back in his previous examination.

Draco saw little bits of… way too much. Mostly memories from that summer and any interaction with others in his year, Slytherin and Gryffindor. And with Ginny. Snape probably even saw the pictures Ginny had given Draco. He was almost glad that they hadn't done much more than snog, because Snape would have seen it all.

Eventually, the man was satisfied, and Draco was free, panting and faintly glad to still be standing.

"Be wary of your dorm mates," the man said with something in his voice. "I cannot question each of them in this way while maintaining my precarious position," he said. Which made Draco want to trust the man, but he could just as easily just be saying that to cover himself.

Draco could spend years saying that Slytherins weren't evil, but he also knew that he was standing in front of a murderer, someone who hadn't prevented dozens of murders at the least. Even if Ginny trusted him. And if this man hadn't tried to kill Albus Dumbledore, then it had likely been a student in Draco's house, perhaps in his room. And Draco had outright invited the man into his mind. He'd once called him Uncle Severus. Draco might seek an alternate place to sleep, if he could do so without arising more suspicion. The house of Andromeda and Ted Tonks was what he really wanted, with a red-headed addition.

 **A/N: I'm really hoping that I can keep up with new chapters, as my stockpile is dwindling. Reviews are encouragement!**


	16. Friends

Chapter 16- Friends

*****Draco*****

When Ginny had first asked him to mock duel, it had sounded quite attractive and thrilling. He hadn't anticipated being innervated and helped from the ground quite so many times.

"You're getting better already," Ginny commented easily. "Way better than the first week. I've had a lot more practice, and I'm really trying hard to keep up."

Ginny did have more practice, from that group, _Potter's Army_ , for all that it had held the headmaster's name. Draco had known that, and still hadn't thought she would get the better of him- with her being a year younger, and the Weasleys being the law-abiding sort so that she wouldn't have even practiced much over the summers.

But he would be _mature_ about losing, as much as he wanted to scowl and use something somewhat stronger than a stunner to try to win. That would be wrong and ruin everything.

"What else did you learn in your… club?" he hesitated over the word.

Ginny smiled, "My favourite spell." She closed her eyes and was still for a few moments of concentration, so whatever it was wasn't very practical. "Expecto Patronum!" she shouted.

 _That_ was impressive, Draco would admit.

It was a horse, a wispy but clearly shaped mare.

"It's pretty," Draco said, ready to duel again. He still needed to work on silent casting too, that would really give him an edge. But he could also help Ginny with it after he had mastered it himself.

*****Ginny*****

"Hey, Ginny?" Neville walked up to her. They had bonded during the DA and being at the Ministry. Until then there had been that weird lingering from having attended the Yule Ball with the boy, and wondering what that meant. She had never wanted to date Neville- but that had been childish of her, because Neville was great and deserved to date someone great. She just hoped he didn't like her like that.

"Yeah, Neville?" Ginny asked back, cheerfully.

"Harry- and Hermione and Ron don't plan on continuing the DA, but I thought some of us might still want to practice. Luna wants to as well. Though I know you'll be busy with your OWL year and... things," he said.

Was Draco the 'things?' And quidditch. Ginny thought more about quidditch than classes. Did she really have a chance at professional quidditch? But defending herself and others was more important than school or quidditch or her relationship, really. But did she really have time with…

"I've been practicing defence with Draco, but if you all could get along…" Ginny offered. "It would be good to keep an even number," Ginny suggested. "You, me, Luna, and Draco," she said. Was it ludicrous? Luna had suggested that Ginny tell Draco last year, so she was certain the other girl wouldn't mind, but she knew that Draco and Neville had some history.

Neville clenched his jaw for a moment. When did Neville Longbottom get such a defined jawline? He'd grown in more than just confidence in the last year. He wasn't the round-faced little boy who'd taken her to the ball. "Sounds like a good idea," he said, and turned around quickly.

They could figure out a time later, Ginny supposed. It wouldn't be secret exactly, but she wasn't about to post a public notice.

*****Draco*****

Refusing to practice with Ginny's friends seemed like the best way to distance himself from her, which wasn't what he wanted. So, if he accepted them and they rejected him, then _they_ would be in the wrong in Ginny's eyes. So, Draco could make it through one uncomfortable evening. He had shared a dinner with- Tom Riddle and lived, a memory he did not like to think back on. But it had brought him closer to Ginny, who now made him happy- usually.

And she'd kissed him enthusiastically when he agreed to the little venture.

When the second evening from that day came, Ginny looked nervous, as was reasonable as they stood in the Come and Go Room- or as they called it, the _Room of Requirement_. Draco thought that Lovegood looked pleased, but who could tell with Lovegood unless she chose to spout off what she was thinking? Not that Draco actually knew almost anything about the girl.

Longbottom looked… not the way he looked in their classes together.

"So, we've just been dueling, stunners and lighter hexes only. So, maybe you could do that too, Luna and Neville, but we could switch up sometime, maybe," Ginny suggested, darting a look at him. He didn't want to hex Longbottom, though it wouldn't be the first time.

"Did you see her this summer? Bellatrix Lestrange?" Longbottom asked, staring right at him.

 _That_ was what was different about him. Neville Longbottom looked every bit the pureblood son, last of one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, like Draco was himself. Longbottom was proud and angry.

"I didn't," Draco said.

"You didn't see her at Malfoy Manor?" Longbottom pressed again. "But you probably know where she is," he said, chin unusually high.

"She might be at Malfoy Manor," Draco decided to say. "But I wasn't there. I've never met the woman."

"You didn't see your parents?" the other boy asked, more of a boy again and surprised now, confused.

Draco didn't wish to answer that one, but said instead, "I saw my mother. And you can cut the needless questions and just ask to see my forearm if you wish," he offered. But he'd make Longbottom ask of it. He'd almost wanted to say that anyone _sane_ would seek alternative living space after the previous summer sharing a dining table with Tom Riddle, and that if he'd gone 'home', his forearm would not be bare.

Longbottom thrust out his own right hand instead, for a handshake.

Draco would have to scrub his hands later, but he couldn't object with Ginny watching. Longbottom likely saw it as an apology rather than an inconvenience.

*****Draco*****

Crabbe and Goyle spoke with Nott or Zabibi more often than they did him. There would be others around Draco at meals, but none of them talked to him. Maybe they never had, unless Draco started the conversation. Draco had previously talked too much.

Draco quit the quidditch team two weeks into term when Urquhart, their unpromising new captain, still hadn't scheduled a practice. The boy didn't seem too surprised. Draco had already said he didn't want to be captain.

He would always love to fly, but he wasn't sure that seeker was ever meant to be the position for him. He'd gotten it because he was a small twelve year old, his father bought everyone brooms, and that was the most open place on the team. And he'd wanted to beat Potter, so it had all lined up well. And now? For her future, for _their_ future, he wanted Ginny to win, preferably in long games where she got to show her abilities. And if he didn't even want to win the game against Gryffindor, what was the point? It wasn't fun to defeat Hufflepuff, but he wouldn't even say that anymore. Especially because it made him remember Diggory. Death, Death Eaters, his father, Tom. Not an enjoyable thought-path.

Sometimes he ate breakfast earlier, so he would be less conspicuously alone, or possibly more so.

"Hey," a small voice said, as the person sat down.

Astoria Greengrass. They had never spoken before, strange for two people who could have been married eventually.

"Hello," Draco answered. The two other Slytherins far down the table were pretending not to notice them, Draco thought.

"So, if you weren't engaged to Ginny Weasley, we might be betrothed right now. Is it weird that we never talked about that?" she asked.

"We probably could have had a few more years before papers were signed. I doubt we would have talked about it much before then," Draco acknowledged.

"That would have been stupid," Astoria said. She fixed her tea. Draco had taken to morning coffee. Terrible drink.

"Yes," Draco agreed.

"Do you think you would have been a good husband for me?" Astoria asked next. Were her parents in talks with someone else, was that what she was worried about?

"I intend to be a good husband to Ginny," Draco worded, which wasn't the safest thing to say in his position. What did being a good husband to a Weasley look like to many of his classmates?

"Yes, but you love her," the girl pointed out plainly.

"I do," Draco said, unsure what else to say.

"Do you think _we_ would have fallen in love?" the girl asked. Would they have? What had made him fall in love with Ginny? When did that happen? Was it just time together and common experience, common bond? Was it gratitude or fear? Passion? They were both emotional people. Could he have had that with someone else, and if so, did that make what he had with Ginny less precious?

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I would hope so with time." It seemed a sad life to live otherwise, but he wouldn't tell that to the girl who was doubtless still facing an arranged marriage, or 'encouraged,' 'introduced,' whatever they wanted to call it, to a boy or man she didn't really know.

"Yeah, maybe," Astoria shrugged. She was only a year younger than Ginny.

"You or your parents are in talks with another family then," Draco questioned neutrally. He would doubtless already know the answer if he had spent the summer with Narcissa Malfoy.

"With a few families, yeah," the witch shrugged again. "They believe I'm old enough to give input now. Which is insulting that I wasn't consulted before, for a decision I would live with for the rest of my life. But look at you, maybe choice isn't always best."

"You should appreciate your influence over the decision," Draco said to the ungrateful girl- relatively speaking.

"But you wouldn't have chosen Ginny," the witch prodded.

"Yes, but neither would my parents."

"No, they picked _me_ ," the younger witch said.

"You were what, ten years old at the time? They picked your family."

"Pass the toast. _Prat_ ," she said.

*****Draco*****

Draco was learning more in his sixth year than and of his previous years, despite the decline in quality of Potions class, he maintained. Slughorn didn't have the right type of flare. He was all talk. And Draco was _not_ jealous of his stupid special meetings.

Defence class. Draco wondered how far his year was behind with their parade of incompetent teachers, none worse than Umbridge. And yet, everyone in their little... defence practice group seemed ahead of their year, and Draco had to catch up.

Two weeks in, the Creevey boy and the even younger Creevey boy joined their… gatherings. And the eager boys weren't even hopeless. And Longbottom was especially good at working with them, and they beamed when they improved in any way. And Longbottom was _good_. He learned silent casting and was better at conveying the intent-based casting concepts to the younger boys. Draco was excelling in silent casting as well, of course. Better than Longbottom… probably.

But if Draco didn't hurry, Colin Creevey was going to have a corporeal patronus before Draco. It was bad enough that Longbottom was already proficient at it, as was Lovegood. It was just _one spell_ that didn't really matter. It was just these _Gryffindors_ who treated it as the epitome of goodness thwarting all evil, when really, he intended to stay far from dementors and anything else that the spell was good for.

"So, are we still Dumbledore's Army?" Longbottom asked, another two weeks after their number grew to six. He sounded hopeful, which was strange with Draco present. A Slytherin, a Malfoy.

"I am not part of any _army_ , and definitely not one for Dumbledore," Draco objected.

"We don't have to have a name. We're just- friends practicing together, sound close enough?" Ginny said calmly. Because she was the leader, he supposed. Or maybe they didn't have a leader. But everyone else was looking around and nodding, and they didn't even completely avoid Draco's gaze, even the littlest Creevey. Longbottom nodded solemnly.

"I have been thinking that our group has been becoming very Gryffindor," Longbottom observed.

 _No_. Perhaps Lovegood was fine with it, because she was an odd sort, but Draco Malfoy was not some honorary Gryffindor, for all that he no longer… fit with his Slytherin dormmates.

"There are a few students who I wanted to ask to join us, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott- from Hufflepuff," he announced. "Susan had lost as much or more to… _Him_ as anyone, and now her aunt this past summer. Both Hannah and Susan were in the DA," Longbottom said, which would have been for Draco's benefit, as if Draco hadn't already known everything the other sixth year boy was saying. "Not that that is needed to be one of us now," he said as firmly, which was alright of him. They had been very neutral to each other in the last month. "And Hannah is very nice, and Susan's closest friend. And it would be good to keep an even number. And Hannah was the one who asked me about the practicing. Is that alright?" Longbottom asked them all.

"That sounds fine with me," Ginny said. The younger boys agreed easily.

"They are both rather nice," Lovegood added.

"Draco?" Longbottom asked when Draco hadn't said anything. They both felt uncomfortable with the use of his first name. He couldn't recall if Longbottom had used it before.

"I'm surprised the room isn't already crawling with Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws," Draco said off-handedly.

"Neville doesn't like the Ravenclaws in your year, or mine, or the seventh years, because they have not been very kind to me," Lovegood said. "Though I've told him I don't mind," she shrugged. No one could like being called _Looney_ Luna Lovegood. Her house should have stood beside her and not let that happen without retaliation. They might have even started it.

"Abbott and Bones are fine," Draco said to fill the silence. He'd had Ancient Runes with both girls, and Bones was one who could have taken the class at the NEWT level if she wished, though Draco had no idea if she had, as he had dropped the course himself, as quickly as he could.

*****Ginny*****

Being a chaser was her favourite thing in the world. And yes, she did like working with the other women on the team. Katie a seventh year, and Demelza a fourth year, but much bigger than Ginny already, probably older looking too. Female chasers were a tradition in Gryffindor by that point, and Ginny hoped they could groom another girl- woman to take Katie's place by the end of the year.

"Boys out of the room," Katie announced at the end their practice.

Harry, their captain, gaped for a bit before turning and being the first one out the door. Ron was just behind him.

"He asked you to Hogsmeade?" Ginny guessed as the door was closing behind Jimmy Peakes.

"He was pretty cute when he asked, stammering," Katie said with a smile.

"Potter? And you said...?" Demelza asked, laughing. Ginny had never seen her so girlish.

"I said that I needed to consider the impact on our lives and the quidditch team, and that I'd tell him tomorrow. And then I hurried away rather quickly," Katie laughed. "He _is_ the captain."

"Angelina was a way more controlling captain, and she dated George," Ginny pointed out.

Another thing arranged by Ginny... She was uncannily good at this. Or she needed to stop now while she was ahead.

"Would it be weird?" Katie asked, looking at Ginny. "I mean I know you were- would it be weird?"

"Only if you think it's weird that I suggested to Harry that the two of you might be a good pair?" Ginny smiled. Best not for them to have that secret.

"Really?" the older girl asked. "So you're over him?" Katie asked. Demelza's head whipped between them. It made Ginny feel quite grown, which didn't mean she thought any less of the younger girl. "Really over him, not just trying to be?" she pressed.

"I don't want to date Harry, no. We have a lot of history, and he's family, but- I know it doesn't make sense to many Gryffindors, but I _really_ do like Draco. I love him," she admitted. "I wouldn't want to date anyone else. And with him, I- sometimes I just want to- just get married already," she said. Their snogging had gotten more intense lately. Why not have fun with it?

"Weasley!" Katie said shocked. "If you start popping out kids you'll miss your early years on development rosters."

"Hey!" Ginny protested. "I believe we were discussing _your_ love life, not mine. Just tell the poor boy you'll go with him, and he had best be a proper gentleman. Anything you want, anywhere you want to go. Demelza, do we need to solve your problems now?" Ginny offered.

"I'm taller than all the boys in my year," Demelza complained. "And they're such _children_."

"I don't think they really grow up," Katie said. "They just learn to hide it better. But, perhaps you should go for a sixth year boy. I think it's working for us," she laughed again.

*****Ginny*****

"And what was that about?" Ron asked Ginny at the portrait hole after Katie hurried towards the girl's staircase. They had chatted for a while. And not about boys the _whole_ time. Only most of it. It probably wasn't very empowered of them, but it was fun.

"See you later, Ginny," Demelza said.

"You could have asked Katie if you're so curious, Ginny pointed out. You've been on the same team for two years, and the same house for six."

"And I've been your big brother for fifteen," Ron answered. Predictably.

"You'll know soon enough anyway. She's going to say yes to Harry taking her to Hogsmeade next trip. Which will leave _you_ with Hermione, how do you feel about that?" Ginny asked.

"I- how do _you_ feel about Harry dating Katie?" he asked instead of answering.

"I thought they'd be good together, as you probably already know. And I'm in love- with Draco," Ginny got out even with Ron's comically shocked face. "Come on, Ron, it can't be that much of a surprise."

"I- it's a nice broomstick he gave you, but love?" Ron muttered.

"Ron!" Ron spent too much time thinking about quidditch, and that was coming from her.

"Don't try to say he's not a git, I've known him longer," Ron groused.

"Yes, well, I haven't met a teenage boy yet who _wasn't_ a git, and I've lived with six of them. Seven if you count Harry. Charlie and Bill mostly grew out of it, so I'd say there's hope for the rest of you."

"They were just nicer to you because you were the girl," Ron complained.

"Hey, I have lots of brothers. Do you know who's my favourite?" she asked.

"Bill," Ron said easily.

"Maybe," Ginny said. "I idolized him. But _you_ are the only one who I've ever felt was really my friend."

That had Ron smiling, and his face in danger of turning unreasonably red.

"He's still a git," Ron maintained. "Don't have to like your friend's boyfriend. Especially not when the friend is your sister."

"Yeah, you don't. Could be worse though, yeah?"

"Could have been Cormac McLaggen," Ron shuddered.

Ginny's laugh was noticed by the whole common room.


	17. Ambitions

Chapter 17- Christmas

*****Draco*****

"Are you sure your pride isn't too hurt not being asked by Slughorn?" Ginny asked again.

"Ginny, I will gladly go to the Christmas party with you, but I don't need to be in his little club. I think you're just bored in the meetings, so don't you think I would be too?" Though Draco had more experience at such gatherings, it didn't mean he enjoyed them.

It was only October, and they were trying to enjoy the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. And it was cold already, and Ginny wanted to discuss something that wouldn't happen for two months. They really should have a Hogsmeade visit in September when it was still pleasant outside.

"I could put in a good word for you," Ginny offered for the dozenth time. Draco had long suspected that Ginny just wanted his company because she was bored.

"I'm fine," Draco maintained.

"Oh really? Aren't you supposed to be ambitious, Mister Slytherin?" she taunted. "Slughorn has lots of connections, and _he's_ Slytherin," she reminded him.

Slughorn's connections were better before the man had been hiding from the world for more than a year.

And maybe those weren't Draco's goals anymore, or he was already tired of sophisticated parties and hidden meanings. If he could access Malfoy money- or Lestrange or Black money- then neither he nor Ginny would have to work a day in their lives. But Ginny was a talented Quidditch player, and he might wish for some occupation to fill some of his time. Or were those lies? What did he want to do with his life?

They were alone on the Hogsmeade street, everyone retreated into buildings out of the cold, but Draco still spoke quietly.

"I guess I'm not anymore," Draco said. Draco Malfoy not ambitious.

"Yes you are. You're goal-oriented, driven, always have been. What do you _want_? What are you working towards?" Ginny pressed.

"Just to- be. To live unhampered. To be relatively normal," Draco decided on.

"Never going to happen, and sounds boring. And vague. What do you _want_?"

"Okay, fine," Draco tried not to snap. "My ambitions are... to live until I'm a hundred sixty- no, hundred-eighty years old, die in my own bed painlessly and surrounded by family, and to have never been to Azkaban."

And it was entirely Ginny Weasley's fault.

Ginny smiled widely.

"I revoke my previous assessment. You're too ambitious. You're _sixteen_. Your greatest goal is supposed to be getting my _bra_ off," Ginny teased, and skipped a few paces ahead.

That was… that was… when was that supposed to happen exactly?

"That's in my plan," Draco finally said, "Much before starting a family."

"Oooh," Ginny shot back, walking backwards. "And it only took you ten seconds to say anything," she said, with her grin, already skipping again. "And I'm wearing purple to the party, so make sure you don't clash," she instructed.

 _Ginny Weasley._

Other than the cold, the approaching holidays were largely a positive in Draco's mind, _after_ this party was over. It would mean fewer students in the castle, which was for the better.

Except, he hadn't asked if Ginny was staying at the castle for the holiday, and Ginny hadn't volunteered the information, which probably meant she was leaving. But he pretended she wasn't and didn't ask. He too often thought of them spending hours alone together. Perhaps now exploring that new taunt of hers. They had been spending quite a lot of time together that term, but much of it had been with Longbottom, Lovegood, and the others.

*****Draco*****

Classes were more difficult, but less pressured than the OWL year had been. They had a year and a half before NEWTs, so no one but Granger would be worrying about them yet.

Defence class remained excellent for the first time in Draco's schooling, having a competent teacher who actually taught them useful information. Especially when defending himself against the Dark Arts was more likely to be vital to his life than he had imagined as a first year.

Potions was increasingly irritating, with Slughorn simpering over Potter. Even Potter didn't really enjoy it, Draco noted. The others were about the same as years past. It was nice to have fewer classes, to drop the ones he disliked the most.

And he had a better rapport with the Transfiguration professor than he would have previously thought possible. Charms was easy, as always. He'd kept Herbology, but didn't care about his marks in it. In the next term, he would learn Apparition, though he wouldn't be able to take his licensing test until the summer because he was one of the youngest in his year, something he hadn't liked being reminded of throughout his childhood.

Quidditch was different, watching that first game from the stands, his housemates glancing at him, wondering why he wasn't competing. Cheering for Slytherin, even though he spent most of it watching Ginny. He couldn't help but take some time to look for the snitch, but he never saw it. He wouldn't have on the pitch either.

The Slytherin chaser line was entirely new, and not talented. It was amusing to watch Ginny defeat smug Zabini so badly. And Weasley, Ron Weasley, did admirably, though he didn't really have to face much.

Potter won, of course, beating the new seeker, Harper, to the snitch. But in honesty, Harper looked better than Draco had, getting quite close.

When the Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw game came round just two weekends later, it always felt like an afterthought. Draco didn't know anyone well on either team, didn't care about the result. He had a recurring thought that it would be more entertaining to sit with Ginny, and critique the teams together, but they sat in their respective stands, of course.

*****Ginny*****

Ginny frowned over her Charms notes. Well, over _Hermione's_ Charms notes that Ginny had copied- using a very useful charm that they hadn't learned in class.

Hermione had detailed notes over even the most practical class periods. Had Flitwick lectured that day to their class and not to Ginny's? Probably not. Did Hermione wait until after class to write down everything she remembered and further background research? Reading Hermione's notes wasn't any shorter than reading the text, and more difficult at times. It was _Charms class_. You watched someone else do it, and then you did it, the end.

She wasn't Hermione, or Percy, or even Bill, but she tried to be a good student. Maybe in case quidditch didn't work out. Except now she also had marrying into money as a backup- or not even really as a backup, just as a thing that was happening. The Malfoys weren't likely to disown him no matter what he did, because they didn't have another son. And they loved him, as twisted as they were- or at least Lucius Malfoy was. And Draco was very good at playing this balancing act, better than Ginny would have thought. Would Ginny be happy staying at home with children like her mother always had? Not compared to playing professional quidditch, but compared to any other job? Maybe. She didn't know how to take care of children. The youngest in a family didn't exactly get child-rearing experience.

Bill would be a good father. Mum was always happy to have his help when he came home for holidays when they were younger. Charlie would be a fun uncle, he was very good with play time. Maybe having kids of his own when he was really old, maybe never. Percy was- well, he'd have to attract a mate first, or convince someone to sign over their kids to him, which seemed even less likely. George was Ginny's maybe surprising bet to have more kids than any of them, if his future wife agreed. He was really family oriented. Fred seemed like the leader of the two of them, he would say because he was the first born of the two, and usually he was- the leader, the instigator of mischief maybe sixty or seventy percent of the time. But Ginny thought Fred would be the follower here, not really looking for a permanent girlfriend until after George was already engaged or married. Settling down and having kids because everyone else was doing it- but he'd be great at it. And Ron, Ron was too close to her to in age tell, but he'd probably be a good father eventually. If she had to guess, he'd probably have kids before he was ready and then grow into the role. He was growing up all the time.

Hermione would want two kids, Ginny thought. So the first child wouldn't be alone, but Ginny couldn't picture her wanting more than that. And she would have a fabulous career as well. Harry would want kids, as many as his wife would agree to, because he wanted family.

Neville, Luna, Hannah and Susan, did most people end up with children eventually? Was it Ginny's family bias that couldn't picture almost anyone over the age of thirty-five not having children? She couldn't imagine the Creevy boys ever growing up that much, but they'd probably want families eventually, wouldn't they?

She and Draco hadn't talked about kids. Ginny thought it would probably scare him because his own relationship with his father was- strained because his father was a murderer who had tried to kill Draco's future wife multiple times, and yet the man was still a person who Draco dearly loved… But, eventually Draco would want kids too. He probably wouldn't be in a rush, which would suit her well to have her quidditch career first- probably. Or at least she'd need to get signed on with a team that cared about her. Quidditch had a long offseason that would give her much more vacation time than a normal job. Draco was rich, modern healing made recovery from childbirth manageable, didn't it? When she was thirty... or twenty-something at least. Their kids would be very cute, Ginny had decided. Not that that would matter. And she wouldn't have to share any of those thoughts with Draco for a while.

Somehow staring at Charms notes had become analyzing everyone in her family and friends and their futures.

*****Ginny*****

Katie looked elegant in Gryffindor red in a way a Weasley never would. And she was as interested in hearing every word that Gwenog Jones said as Ginny was. And that meant that Draco and Harry stood closer than usual to each other without fighting, but they were quidditch fans as well. And Draco knew how to behave at a party, and Harry probably wanted to not upset Katie.

"Your first training camp is the deciding factor," Gwenog outlined. "They look for skills, potential, and intangibles- meaning what they think of you and how you play nice with others. We always look for girls out of Hogwarts. Gryffindor, are you?" she asked, nodding her head at Katie's dress. "We've heard of the all-female chasers of Gryffindor for several years now. Are you one of them?"

"Katie's been on the team for the last six years. She's great. Are you a Gryffindor too?" Harry asked. Katie didn't seem to mind him answering. But Ginny noticed that it wasn't something she thought Draco would do.

Gwenog laughed. "You know, kids, after graduating Hogwarts, most people don't ask what house you were in. And it wasn't a very- house spirited time in my years there, during the war and after. Laying low, quietly proving you were worthy of greatness. No, I was one of Slughorn's. Part of of the two decade stretch where Slytherin won seventeen Quidditch Cups, and about as many House Cups with it, I think. I didn't care about that."

A few years ago, Ginny probably would have liked Gwenog Jones less for having been in Slytherin. She almost couldn't believe she hadn't known. Being in Gryffindor was such a big deal in her family, and Slytherin was to Draco's. It was strange to hear it talked about as just a part of the past.

Katie took the explanation easily. Maybe she'd already known. "Ginny's great," Katie spoke up. "It's only her second year on the team, and I think she's a better chaser than I am already. And, in a pinch, she's a great seeker, when our leader-" she nudged Harry, "is unavailable."

"Flexibility is good. It can get you as far as a reserve team," Gwenog said, looking straight at her, appraisingly. "But if you want a chance at a future as a starter, unless you're a generational talent, you'd best pick one and concentrate everything on it," she advised.

"I'm a chaser," Ginny said firmly.

"Good girl," the famous beater praised. "And everyone knew when Harry Potter got a spot on the Gryffindor team. Youngest in a hundred years- I heard that too often, frankly."

"Really?" Harry acted surprised. Wasn't he used to everything he did being in the public eye?

"You'll get offers from teams just for your media attention. More if you're any good, but you'll have to be great to be taken seriously as a player, and fickle the media can be. But you've always had their attention. When you were eleven, they even asked _us_ what we thought of you, and you don't even have the right equipment to play on our team," Gwenog said plainly. Draco laughed, which made Ginny feel like maybe she shouldn't have laughed so hard as well.

Gwenog excused herself after that, and the two couples drifted apart quickly, though without conflict. She and Katie were doing great, and Ginny and Harry were mostly not awkward, but Ginny couldn't see a future where Draco and Harry weren't tense forever. Which was entirely Harry's fault, if you believe _Draco's_ story. Harry publicly rejected Draco's offer of association before their first year even began. Of course, Ginny knew that Harry wouldn't have really understood what he was doing, and Draco was sure to have been a little prat about it.

Ginny heard Slughorn cornering Harry a few seconds later anyway, so their conversation would have been broken up.

"I'll miss you," Draco whispered in her ear.

"Hmmm?" Ginny asked. "When?"

"When you _leave tomorrow_ ," Draco clarified.

"When did I say I was leaving?" Ginny asked, grinning. They hadn't talked about it. Ginny had thought about surprising him by just showing up in the Great Hall for the first meal after nearly everyone left. But when it came up, he sounded so cute.

"You aren't?" Draco asked quickly, smiling. "But your family is. They're not very quiet," he said in way of explanation.

" _Ron_ is going home, yes. You talk as if we're half of Gryffindor. Just the two of us left at Hogwarts.

"And Potter," Draco added. "Going with him. Talked about Christmas dinner," Draco muttered.

"Harry is honorary family, yes. As is Hermione, but she's visiting her parents." Hermione wasn't over as much because she had her own loving home. The Weasleys welcomed anyone- well, anyone who fit their ideals, which wasn't Draco Malfoy. Luna had been over often as a child. And Tonks had been around sometimes when Ginny was young. "And it will be a very full house without me there. I'd have to share my room with Fleur- who I have nothing against but don't really want to spend every hour with, you know? And I believe Professor Lupin's coming to dinner, do you want to be jealous of him too?" Ginny teased. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but she wanted some credit for staying at the castle with him, and he hadn't even asked about her plans.

"He's an idiot," Draco snapped, surprising Ginny.

"He's the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" Ginny protested, daring him to object. Sure, Snape was teaching them things, and was interesting enough even when he was rude. And fake Moody had taught them a lot, but he was evil and Draco really hated him for good reason after the ferret thing. And really, Ginny had probably learned as much or more from Harry than she had any formal Defence professor.

"He's an idiot," Draco maintained.

"Why?" Ginny asked, curious now.

"I- it's not really my secret to tell," Draco shrugged.

" _We_ don't keep secrets," Ginny reminded him, looking around. It was loud and no one was right next to them. Ginny was interesting enough to Slughorn to be part of his group, but she wasn't one of his favourites within the group, so she would be mostly left alone. When Harry actually showed up, almost everyone else was ignored.

"Tonks likes him. Really _likes_ him," Draco explained grumpily. "And she's way to good for him."

"Because of his furry little problem?" Ginny asked skeptically, she couldn't help but smile saying that. It would be dangerous to be in a relationship with a werewolf, but no more dangerous to date than a close friendship. And Professor Lupin was a good man who didn't deserve to be alone so long.

"Because he likes her back but won't date her because he thinks he knows what's _best_. So that means he doesn't trust her or himself, so he's not worthy of her time and attention," Draco huffed.

Draco cared about Tonks like an older sister. It was cute. They _were_ family. And then Tonks would be Ginny's family too, just not the way Ginny had pictured that happening.

Ginny laughed, "Mum's been trying to get her to date Bill, especially since Fleur was in the picture. Which, yeah, seems kind of rude when I say it like that. But she was trying to be subtle- she's just even worse at subtlety than the rest of us. She's tried the same with Charlie, like she was going to lure him back into the country with a girlfriend back home.

Draco shrugged, "Doubt it would work, but she _should_ get over the man eventually."

Or, more likely Remus would give in if he really liked her back. Which wasn't the best start to a relationship, but neither was an arranged marriage of two children who hated each other, so Ginny wasn't going to judge. Not that she and Draco had hated each other, really. They hadn't known each other nearly well enough for that.

*****Ginny*****

Christmas holidays was nice in the mostly empty castle. Ginny sat with Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones at the Hufflepuff table. Draco looked over often. He had quiet meals with Theo, Crabbe, and Goyle.

They practiced sometimes with the Hufflepuff girls.

And their- other meetings- where they talked and mostly snogged, were getting quite steamy.

Ginny recalled more and more frequently how she'd assured her mother that she wouldn't be the first to give her grandchildren. Ginny had been thinking at the time that she'd only ever snogged Michael Corner at the time, whom she definitely wasn't going to have sex with. No sex, no children, no grandchildren for Mum. It was the obvious way in her family, since she was probably fertile enough to get pregnant through a dozen contraceptive potions, if her family was anything to go off of. Though her parents probably wanted all of their kids and hadn't even tried to prevent them. Because they would have told any of them by now if they'd been an accident.

And at some point instead of sounding too soon, a month after her seventeenth birthday seemed a really long time away. Except no contract said they _had_ to wait that long. In fact, her ancestors had wanted her married at 14- or she could have been in her late thirties married to a teenage boy… way creepy.

They could go off to the Ministry right now. Except that would be a weird conversation with her parents. What valid reason did she have for wanting to be married right now? What would change? It would just make her life harder, probably, to be a Malfoy, to draw extra attention by doing something unexpected, not according to plans. They were already committed to each other forever, and couldn't be with anyone else, nothing would change there. 'Mum, I want to have sex with my husband without feeling weird about it.' As if she wouldn't still feel weird. As if there wasn't that explicit sentence in the contract giving them _permission_ to have sex right now.

The girls in her dorm didn't talk about sex. If her brothers talked about sex, or if they were having any or not, they definitely didn't talk to their little sister about it. And from what she did know, it didn't sound that great, at least for the girl, and the lead up to it was better than the actual sex.

And it would be weird and change stuff, and she was only fifteen. And Draco would probably want it all the time after they did it the first time.

And yet, she was still curious.

It would be a long time before she turned seventeen. And they _could_ get married and still not have sex- the contract wasn't that invasive. But that wasn't going to happen.

*****Draco****

Draco got letters from home, two on the same day, because he had two homes now. The one from his mother was written hurriedly on cheap parchment with plain black ink, and delivered by an owl that Draco didn't know. From a delivery service, then. So she could still leave the house sometimes, but she was rushed.

 _My darling child_ ,

 _I am glad you are not here. It makes being here easy, knowing you are as safe as possible. But, when it isn't the safest place, and you can go somewhere else safely, do it. Your father and I love you._

 _Mother_

Personal impersonal. She had never called him her darling child, always 'son,' but in this letter, she hadn't even wanted to say Draco's gender. Draco had never intellectually believed in Hogwarts's safety, but he still trusted it. He went to sleep most nights without much worry. Maybe he shouldn't. How long would it be before half of his Slytherin yearmates would be Death Eaters? And that was just those born into it. Tom could recruit more. Some of them were already seventeen, if that mattered. That letter in the summer indicated that Draco could have been a Death Eater already, maybe before his sixteenth birthday. And Draco saw his yearmates as little as possible, so would he even know if they were acting suspicious? Crabbe and Goyle were so _stupid_ , but intelligence wasn't a requirement, or their fathers wouldn't be Death Eaters. Would _He_ wait until they were graduated? That wasn't far off either, and then he wouldn't even have the illusion of safety at Hogwarts. And Ginny would still be there without him. But they'd be married. None of those things could fit in his mind together.

There had been an attempt on Dumbledore's life, and the castle had just moved on. Potter nearly died at least once a year, and everyone in the castle just accepted it. Sometimes other students were in danger too, but always Potter. Diggory actually had died.

Draco's mother was worried for him. He was worried for himself, and for Ginny.

But they would be okay, play each side, try to come out alright no matter-

But if Potter didn't win, preferably sooner than later, Ginny wouldn't be okay. Maybe she could hide, stay alive as a Malfoy wife, but her family couldn't, and Ginny wouldn't be okay without them.

It was no wonder that Snape was angry all the time.

The second letter was from Ted Tonks. From _Uncle Ted_.

 _Happy Christmas, lad. You'll get a proper package on the day, but we wanted to let you know we were thinking of you. Feels right to have you to write to at Hogwarts. You know that you are both welcome any time._

Ted's letter wasn't signed either. Because even with the chipper letter, he knew there was secrecy because there was danger. Ted wanted Draco to know that he and Ginny could come there, any time they wanted, but also that the house wouldn't be as safe of a place if anyone knew Draco had been there, especially willingly.

*****Draco*****

Dumbledore presided over Christmas Dinner, and it felt the same as any other year that Draco had stayed at the castle, which was most of them really now. It was tense and uncomfortable, but still happy. And he could sit next to Ginny without it being strange, because all of the students were at one table. Goyle was on his other side. Crabbe didn't look at anything but his food. But that wasn't so different than usual.

He couldn't really say anything to Ginny, other than about the food.

Was it pathetic that Draco couldn't see any reason to not be next to Ginny all day, every day?

Ginny ran off with the girls without him, giggling even. But it was good to see Susan happy. Because, he cared about the emotional well being of the Hufflepuff girl, and it was Ginny's fault.

They met again late that evening to exchange gifts. He should have gotten something more. Ginny didn't look to be in the best mood already, as she clutched a lumpy package.

"It's not very good," Draco admitted, handing her the poem. He'd gotten the idea from writing his song, 'Weasley is Our King,' which he wouldn't tell Ginny, because that wasn't a highlight in their relationship.

"It's perfect!" Ginny proclaimed just a few seconds later. Had she even really read it? She sounded unhappier than before. "I tried to make you a scarf and failed terribly, so I bought one! How are people supposed to come up with meaningful, thoughtful birthday, Christmas, and anniversary presents year after year after year until we _die_? Unless that's not long for us, but that's really depressing."

Draco unwrapped his gift to give himself time. It was a nice grey color, soft, and fine material. It wouldn't have been cheap. "I love it," he said. "It looks very mature and- house neutral, and feels wonderful," he said.

"I thought it would look good with your eyes," she said.

"It's a very thoughtful gift," Draco said, what he thought was soothingly.

"You wrote me a _poem_ ," Ginny said. "A boy has never written a poem for me before," she said.

Draco remembered painfully the Valentines Day rumour in his second year than Ginny had been the one to send Potter an awful poem. She hadn't been. _Draco_ had done it knowing how much it would embarrass Potter. Worse, Draco had been responsible for starting the rumour that it had come from the youngest Weasley too. It fit, Draco had seen her staring at him- which was strange enough that he'd noticed what a first year Gryffindor girl did. Had he always been aware of her, or was he just bound to notice from his own obsession with Potter? And the poor little witch was having such a terrible year. Because of his father.

"I love you," he declared. He was nervous whenever he said it. "I don't deserve you," he said. "And I don't need special gifts," he said.

"You make me surprisingly happy," Ginny sighed.

"Yeah?" Draco said, just a hint of a question.

"Yes," Ginny answered anyway. "I did _consider_ something more... personal. Giving a little more of myself, my _body_ to you- not all the way, mind you, mister," she talked quickly. She was nervous too.

"Wha-?" Draco un-articulated.

"But it seemed weird, like the old married couples who just have sex on their holidays- not that I was considering that. I wasn't," Ginny said again.

"What were you- considering?" Draco managed.

"What I teased you about a while ago. Letting you take my bra off," she said casually. She didn't feel casual. "Wouldn't work though," she said, teasing voice again.

"Why?" he asked.

"Not wearing one," she said, and kissed him.

Draco wrapped arms around her quickly, in hopes that she wouldn't run off after that, wondering how bold he could be with his hands. Draco held her closer, stroking her sides, all the way from the sides of her- breasts- to her hips.

"You're also a very good kisser," Ginny said when she pulled away. Draco didn't try to hold her more tightly. "Happy Christmas, Draco. I think I should leave now though. Because one minute I think we really shouldn't do more than kiss, and the next I'm wondering how likely it would be for me to get pregnant if we had sex right now, when I'm definitely not taking anything to prevent it at the moment. So I think I'd better leave. Happy Christmas and sleep well," Ginny said with a smile.

She smiled around him a lot, he'd noticed. More than he thought she smiled when he wasn't there. She was so bold, even when she was nervous. How was he supposed to _sleep well_ after that?

 **A/N: I've been really distracted writing other things lately, things I'll probably never even post… But following the muse, I suppose. I appreciate all reviews, which inspire me and keep me focused.**


	18. Patronus

Chapter 18 - Patronus

Second term was no different than the first, except with the addition of apparition lessons, which took place in the Great Hall with the anti-apparition wards temporarily lifted. Draco would be doing better if he wasn't worried about their security. Did it seem like time was moving more quickly to everyone? When he was a first year, everything seemed so slow. Before everyone expected dangers and disasters, and the most talked about topic was Potter making the quidditch team as a first year. Ginny's first year had been far worse. His third year had the dementors, his fourth the triwizard tournament, and then his personal world really went mad. Marriage contract and he knew the _war_ had begun, even if most of the country was ignorant or in denial. It didn't feel like a war, exactly, but there were attacks, disappearances. And each month was quicker than the one before it.

Draco was now the best at dueling in their group, offensively or defensively. He had mastered silent casting better than Neville or the girls (the younger boys hadn't tried) and that was a large advantage. And he still knew a wider range of spells, even when he didn't use the more dangerous ones in actual dueling. But they nearly always took some time to practice the one thing that he _couldn't_ do.

Lovegood had had her hare patronus before they had begun that year, like Ginny had her horse. Longbottom managed one not long into their sessions. His patronus was a _lion_ , because of course it was. The boy found comfort in being in his house, found identity there. It highlighted how the boy had grown from the pudgy eleven-year-old that sat on that stool for too many long minutes without the hat saying anything. Colin Creevey had been next, a small monkey. Then Abbot's cat. Susan Bones's dolphin made her cry.

Draco was left patronus-less with Dennis Creevey, a third year. Potter had managed a corporeal patronus in _his_ third year. And none of those thoughts would help Draco with the spell. He'd said it to himself repeatedly, it was hardly a useful spell. He had no intention of going near dementors or lethifolds, and there were more discrete ways to send messages. But he still wanted to cast the spell. To not be last, to show everyone that he could. That he wasn't too _tainted_ to cast it. None of it was the best motivation.

But his mist was looking more like something, he thought.

And he had plenty of happy memories to draw from- most of them of Ginny. Because there was nothing spoiling those memories like the ones of most of his childhood. Of her staying with him over Christmas holiday, of all of their snogging and a bit more… over the robes groping that they'd ventured into. Relief that she was safe after her stupid trip to the Ministry, making up from their fight… Every smile that was just for him. He was a different person because of her. It had happened slowly, and then all at once. And he wanted to show her all of it.

"Expecto Patronum!" he shouted without feeling awkward about it this time. And he saw it.

"I- think it's a horse," Ginny said, watching for his reaction.

It was a horse like _hers_. That was- that didn't seem right. Tonks's patronus had changed to represent Lupin, but that didn't feel like Draco. It didn't really feel… right, to have your identity so wrapped in another person, but maybe he didn't know enough. Wasn't his place to judge. Maybe that was what love did to a person.

"No it isn't," Luna said. "Cast it again. You can do it," she stated simply. "You just did it, after all."

He could do it.

"Expecto Patronum!" he cast again. Same memories with more confidence. It was what it was.

It was _like_ a horse, except for the _horn_ on its head. It was clearly formed this time.

Every person in the room must have gasped except Lovegood.

"Beautiful," Hannah Abbot whispered.

"A- unicorn?" Draco said dumbly. The thing faded quickly.

"I didn't know a patronus could be a magical creature," Ginny said, looking at him oddly.

"Professor Dumbledore's is a phoenix," Longbottom said, looking at him strangely as well.

But that was _Dumbledore_. Impossibilities or improbabilities were well and good for one of the most powerful wizards of their time.

"Is your wand unicorn hair?" Abbot asked.

"Yes, but it's a common core," Draco dismissed.

"You saw one when we were young," Longbottom murmured.

"It was dead. And one of the worst times of my life," Draco said. It had been the worst for a long time. "They like witches better," Draco protested. Professor Grubblyplank had told them so, in the best Care of Magical Creatures class they'd ever had. Draco would still be in the class if that woman taught it. It would probably be his favorite class. He didn't have a favorite class. And yeah, some of that- maybe most of his trouble in the class had been his fault, but he had been a child.

"You like Ginny, don't you?" Luna asked like it was the simplest thing.

"Well- yeah." As if liking a girl was a contributing factor. It was too much, unicorns were too good, too pure.

"It's really lovely, Draco," Susan told him.

"Thanks," he muttered. "Would suit you better."

"I don't think so," the girl smiled.

"Luna for sure. More- magical," he fumbled.

"A unicorn's a creature, an animal, a friend, just like a hare," Luna said easily. "Wild and free."

"Hare fur isn't going to be a wand core," Draco complained. It wasn't polite, was probably insulting. He should feel special, but he just felt weird, and undeserving.

"Perhaps it should be. Even muggles have long noticed their properties for good fortune. Lucky rabbit's foot. Not lucky for the rabbit, of course. We classify magical creatures largely as the ones that we keep away from muggles, but we really don't need that distinction. And there's plenty more creatures who keep away from us, and people call imaginary like muggles say the same of unicorns," Luna said, and it seemed reasonable. "Many plants and animals that we do not consider magical are still used in potions. And water itself," the girl said, now looking at the ceiling.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Ginny asked, hand on his arm.

"Yeah," Draco agreed, following her out.

He kept walking wherever she was taking him. Which was by the kitchens, where he was greeted by an excited Dobby, and he tried to be present in the conversation when his mind was still on the seventh floor.

'Very nice hat, yeah," he agreed.

Ginny picked up something and said goodbye and thanks to the elves.

"Glad you're doing well, Dobby," Draco managed to say something of importance. The elf had had a terrible time.

"Elves is finding evil scarf in Master Mister Dumbledore's gifts. Dobby is checking Master Draco's gifts hisself, and his Weazey. All clean," the elf announced,

 _That_ had their attention.

"Dumbledore was sent a cursed scarf? Ginny asked first.

"What did it do?" Draco asked.

Dobby wrapped his hands around his own slender neck. Obvious.

"Is the elf who found it okay?" Draco asked. Ginny grabbed his hand.

"Little neck, pop out quick," Dobby announced, demonstrating by disappearing and reappearing just to the right. It was an effective measure that a wizard wouldn't have been able to do on Hogwarts grounds. Also the creature could apparently choose to apparate without something it was touching.

"Dobby, can you let us know if you hear anything else happening to the Headmaster?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, yes, Dobby can!" the elf announced.

"Thank you, Dobby, bye," Ginny said, leading him again. "Don't talk until we're outside," she hissed when they were out of the kitchens.

They went onto the grounds in the bitter cold. At least new snow wasn't falling. Whatever trip she had planned for them, they were still doing it, even with the recent news.

And, as far as he could see, they had the grounds to themselves. It was dark, because it was dark so early in the winter this far north, but they could see well enough. The castle was bright this long before curfew, and torches covered some of the grounds. It wasn't forbidden, but not many students ventured outside after dark in the end of January.

"There could have been other attempts that we don't know about, that Dobby doesn't know about," Draco said. Tom and every Death Eater wanted Dumbledore dead. And the old man didn't exude the same undefeatable air that he had previously. He had that dead hand.

"Yeah, maybe. Maybe one will get him one day, and it's terrifying," Ginny agreed.

Had she planned an after dinner meal for them outside? It smelled like fish, and there had been fish at dinner that evening, though Draco hadn't had any of it.

"Where are we going?" Draco asked.

"I'd planned to introduce you to him before- that, and thought I might as well still do it. Doesn't seem like there's anything we can do for Dumbledore at the moment," Ginny said. It was true. McGonagall, Snape, and the other professors, maybe the whole Order of the Phoenix would know more than he and Ginny did. Though they quite possibly knew more than any other student, even Potter. Unless the attempted murderer was a student.

"And who is _he_?" Draco asked. He was not going in the damned forest.

"Witherwings the hippogriff," Ginny said. "Not his original name," she acknowledged.

"What?" Draco said in surprise.

"He stayed at Headquarters for two years, until Sirius died. Then they brought him back to Hagrid with a new name. He's not very good at responding to his name, but he'll come to me and some food," Ginny said. "I spent a fair amount of time with him there, especially when I didn't want to see people."

Hippogriff. "So- I suppose you know every rude, foul, or juvenile thing I've ever done from your brother and Potter?" he asked, nervous. The thing had shredded his arm, made him afraid. Even if it was easily mended. It was like his first broom accident, he hadn't wanted to fly again, and in this case, no one had forced him around another hippogriff.

"And Hermione," Ginny agreed. "You don't- have to do this, but I think it would be good for you. He'll remember you, and he might not be happy, but he does like me," Ginny said. "And chicken carcasses and fish tails," Ginny said, holding up her covered basket. "And also rats, but those weren't around the kitchen. Or ferrets," she added. Ferrets, another bad memory. He had been something that this beast would eat.

"Witherwings!" Ginny called aloud, opening the basket and shaking its contents.

Draco really didn't want the gameskeeper to come instead.

"Buckbeak," Ginny hissed.

Draco hoped that the creature would stay away, but that wasn't to be with slow sounds of horse hoof falls coming their way. Its front, bird feet were quiet.

If someone he had respected had introduced him to the beast the first time, would he have made the same mistake? He was so angry to have the groundskeeper teaching what was supposed to be his favorite class. An uneducated, not qualified wizard who obviously favored Potter and the other Gryffindors.

"We'll just stay on opposite sides of the fence, yeah?" Ginny said calmly. "Hey, boy, want some food?" she asked.

"It- he can fly, that fence isn't doing anything," Draco objected.

"It's his space and he likes it," Ginny explained, bowing before the beast, her basket held forward. The hippogriff inclined his head and then put it over the fence, peering into the basket.

Ginny tossed a fish tail that the creature caught and quickly consumed.

"Draco has a chicken he wants to give you," Ginny announced, handing Draco the food remains. Will you let him?" she asked slowly, as if the beast could understand. It- he could understand quite a bit of human speech, so Draco should probably believe her.

The brute looked at Draco and pawed at the ground. It recognized and remembered him, presumably. Draco didn't know if it would have connect the attempted execution or just the rude words. Draco had never intended the beast to be killed… just for Hagrid to be sacked. The oaf could still be groundskeeper, didn't have to leave the castle. And just because Draco didn't think third years should have dangerous classes didn't mean they needed to spend the so much time after that on _flobberworms_. There was more than the two extremes. And didn't that sound like life?

Draco bowed like Ginny had done, because he didn't want to disappoint her or be maimed.

Slowly, the creature nodded a slight fraction, and then leaned over the fence again, mouth open.

Draco tossed the chicken carcass high. He supposed it meant that he was somewhat forgiven. And he rather liked that feeling.

"Congratulations, Draco," Ginny said, wrapping arms around his waist. It was nice. With distaste, Draco flung the last fish half at the eager hippogriff. Before returning the hug. He'd get her fishy, but Ginny Weasley wasn't the type to care.

"I love you," he told her.

"I know," she answered. "And I love you too."

Ginny would always do that, push him to where he didn't expect to be, show him other perspectives, but not try to force him to be a Dumbledore-following-blindly-Gryffindor. And he should probably stop thinking the word Gryffindor with distaste.

"I'm going to marry you," Draco said, letting himself really think about it. He'd always planned to marry young, just not this young. And he was lucky that he actually liked- loved the witch, and she him in return. For the first time it felt wrong that she didn't have a ring.

"Sounds like a good plan," she replied, and kissed him.

*****Ginny*****

"Oi!" Ron greeted her when she finally returned to the dorms minutes before curfew. After they left Buckbeak unscathed and had some snogging, and didn't think anymore about patronuses or attempted murder, or childhood mistakes. Or Draco's near-proposal comments. "Hardly see you, you know," Ron said. "I'm your friend _and_ brother, yeah? You didn't even come home for Christmas," he reminded her. She thought he'd been a little hurt by that.

"So you _want_ to hear about my day with Draco?" Ginny prodded. And of course that had Harry and Hermione looking up as well. And Harry quickly looking down again.

Ron groaned, "Yeah, sure, whatever. What is the blond ferret up to? You two had better not be doing something you don't want to tell me about."

"We had defence practice, and then we went to the kitchens, and then outside, and I was still in before curfew," Ginny gave the briefest of outlines. Their defence practice wasn't secret, she told herself.

"It he ah- any good? At defence?" Ron asked.

"Ron, we have class with him. You know he's good," Hermione answered for her.

"I don't spend _my time_ watching Malfoy," Ron said back. "Though now that I say it, that makes me unique in this circle, doesn't it? And hey, I'm just trying to be polite and interested. Just saying, defence _against_ the dark arts is different from what he was raised with."

"Well, _Draco's_ very good at it. Especially his patronus," Ginny shot back. Because she wasn't going to defend any Malfoy except Draco. She regretted saying it immediately.

"Malfoy can cast a patronus?" Harry asked. "Corporeal?" There wasn't even malice in it exactly, just surprise, a lot of surprise.

"Yes, he can," Ginny said with some smugness. Because, people like Tom couldn't cast a patronus, or at least that's what she understood. Maybe none of it was true. But no one who wasn't good could have a unicorn patronus.

"What is it?" Ron asked.

"I-" Ginny felt stuck. "He wouldn't want me to tell you," Ginny said honestly. Maybe if it had been something normal, or something like a dragon, but Draco Malfoy having a unicorn patronus could actually be dangerous for him if the wrong people heard about it. They had their gentle balance inside the relatively safe walls of Hogwarts. Even though someone- or many someones- was trying to kill Dumbledore. Which maybe she should tell the others about the second attempt, but what would they do with that knowledge? Probably something stupid, reckless, and nothing helpful. Like the Ministry. Though that same behavior had saved her life once.

"Oi, Neville!" Ron shouted.

"Shut up!" Ginny hissed.

Neville walked over briskly, watching Ginny for cues.

"You practice with Ginny, yeah? What's Malfoy's patronus?" Ron asked, smiling. If he wanted to be sneaky about it, he'd wait until Ginny wasn't around, but Ron Weasley wasn't a sneaky person. Ginny didn't even know that Ron or anyone knew that she and Neville practiced together.

"I mentioned the practice early on. I didn't mention Draco," Neville said, looking at her. "He's been fine though."

"It's fine, wasn't a secret practice or anything," Ginny said.

"Then what's his patronus? If it's not a secret club, I can just show up tomorrow, yeah?" Ron reasoned.

"You'd have to ask Draco that. Everyone added to our group is a unanimous vote in," Neville replied firmly.

Hermione watched Ginny instead of Neville.

"Neville, this is the same guy who stole your remembrall. Who leg-locked you when we were so young that you were lucky that Hermione knew how to undo it."

Neville laughed, "And _she_ used the same jinx against me a few months later. I'm not the same boy I was then. I no longer expect him to be either. And hey, you haven't even asked what _my_ patronus is," he deflected for her.

"Oh, congratulations Neville!" Hermione said, all motherly.

It struck her that they didn't know Neville very well. Ginny didn't feel like she had always been a very good friend to the boy either. "Though you are six months late with the news," Ginny pointed out, though it probably wasn't a good thing to say. It wouldn't help anyone.

"Well, just shows that you needed that new wand. Very well done, Neville. I've noticed how well you've done in class. It is a shame that you didn't have it sooner, from the beginning, or at least before OWLs," Hermione went on.

Neville shrugged. "It would have worked better now. Not as well as my new wand, but better than it did. I'm sorry it's gone. Luna told me that, but I knew anyway," he said. "I kept the pieces in case."

No one knew what to say to that. Neville was different, from the DA, the Ministry, the defence practice. Maybe from confronting Bellatrix Lestrange, even if he didn't come out ahead there.

"What _is_ your patronus then?" Ron piped up.

"A lion," Neville smiled.

Neville had told her once that he never thought he belonged in Gryffindor.

"Of course it is," Ron said, clapping Neville on the back.

And now Neville had a visible sign that he was meant to be in the house, once Ginny was pretty sure he matured past the insecurity to begin with. Because he knew that it didn't matter what house he was in.

 _Note: I had been having a lot of trouble figuring out what Draco/my Draco's patronus would be and wanted to share this. I decided to take the Pottermore patronus quiz thinking of him. I'm not someone who thinks Pottermore is the_ _incontrovertible_ _truth, but it seemed like a good starting point. I did it and got occamy, the feathered snake-like creature from Fantastic Beasts that changes size. It is aggressive to those who approach it and very defensive of its eggs. I liked it, thought it fit, but I was against having a magical creature, because it seems too much, too overdone, too special. I do the test again for Draco again with different questions. I get unicorn. Magical again, and again, it fits. And I checked, magical results are intended to be very rare. Avoids human contact, similar to Ginny's horse, same as Draco's wand core. Interestingly, Rowling says that they make loyal wands that are difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. I was settled on it._


	19. Cliché

Chapter 19- Cliché

*****Draco*****

Draco cheered for Slytherin at their second quidditch game of the season, this time versus Ravenclaw, but it didn't hold his interest like it once did. He wanted to be out there playing, but knew that he wasn't good enough for it to be worth the effort or his time. But maybe he should have kept doing it just because it was fun in the good times. Fun hadn't been his motivation for anything on a large scale since he was a young child, but maybe it should have been. Or maybe he should make more time for flying without needing a reason for it, like he had as a young boy, before it was _practice_. It had sometimes been simply fun in the summers again. But then it was also lonely.

Slytherin won, of course. Harper really was pretty good, and the chasers were starting to shape up. Crabbe and Goyle were good at being physically brutal, if nothing else, so playing beater fit the skill set well enough. The Ravenclaw chasers were decent, but not good enough to entirely overwhelm a passable keeper.

Draco enjoyed the camaraderie of his house celebrating a victory while avoiding as much attention as possible, lest anyone ask why he wasn't on the team anymore. Though it wouldn't be a very Slytherin question to publicly ask. It was like the rest of his existence in his house. He was on neutral ground in the eyes of the Ministry, so he was publically on equal standing with the average Slytherin, but he was privately ignored. None of them were Death Eaters, as far as he knew, but how much did he know? Even if they weren't now, would they be after summer? Would Crabbe and Goyle be trusted to hide dark marks? Theo could, if the quiet boy wasn't able enough to avoid it taking the mark. And being a Death Eater didn't have to be hereditary. Pansy Parkinson might like the illusion of power if she could keep her mouth shut. The Greengrass family was probably safer from both sides not tied in any way to the Malfoys. Astoria was a friendly acquaintance who would smile at him, occasionally trade a few words, an occasional breakfast conversation. Daphne would acknowledge his presence in the common room or in the rest of the castle.

*****Draco*****

Draco had a ring. It would have, should have been something he talked over with his mother, selected a family ring. But he couldn't picture Ginny with a Malfoy ring, or Black, or Rosier, or a ring of other family further back in his line. He thought about talking to Aunt Andromeda, but he didn't know what to say.

He owl ordered a cheap ring that he hoped she would like. Embarrassingly cheap by Malfoy standards anyway, but it looked like her. Which wasn't to say he thought she looked cheap or poor- even though, objectively, her family was poor. One middling Ministry income and seven children, no large inheritance, possibly poor financial decisions.

The ring had a ruby in the middle, not very large. Tiny diamonds around the center stone. Those were so small they were likely the rejected little pieces from working on larger gems. She might want to pick out her own ring to replace it later, and he wouldn't mind. For their first anniversary, or their fifth, or twenty-fifth.

He had some money. At the beginning of the summer, while his father was still in Azkaban, he'd withdrawn as much as he dared from the Malfoy vault. But he didn't know how long he'd need to make it last, much more than he ever had before. But he didn't know how long he'd be separated from his family by his own choices.

But now that he had the ring, when should he give it to her? Not on Valentine's Day. Ginny liked the sentimental, fabricated holiday, but he wouldn't tie a significant piece of their life together to it. So he had to propose before or after, and still make Valentine's Day special as well, more so if they were engaged. So maybe he should wait until after. There wasn't a Hogsmeade trip until two weeks after the day. Which might make it a good time to propose. But students would doubtless appropriate the trip for a second Valentines celebration anyway. But he and Ginny also needed to discuss if they wanted the change in their relationship public information. Or he could wait and assume that the right moment would _show itself_ , or ask after term ended if the right moment didn't appear. And then they'd be apart for most of the summer again, probably.

Perhaps if they were engaged her family would get over themselves and let Ginny see him more than a few times a summer when it was perfectly safe. Or… perhaps he could make an oath, say that he would keep secrets that would allow him to come to Order of the Phoenix headquarters. Though even if they let him, then he would have to see the other Weasleys, Potter, and Granger as well. He could probably tolerate the Weasleys that weren't in his year.

Of the three Gryffindors of his year relevant to the discussion, Granger was undeniably the nicest. She would probably accept him first, despite their differences. But Draco thought he could stand Weasley the easiest. There was competition among all of them, but he would regularly directly lose to Potter in Quidditch and to Granger being the top of their class in nearly everything, though they said Potter was best at Defence. Draco wasn't sure that was true anymore after all their practicing. Even though Potter had more _need_ of mastery of the subject, Draco hoped.

Draco was the best at apparating in their year. Perhaps he had a slight advantage because his parents had taken him side-along often. It was more secure than the floo and not going to get soot anywhere, so they seldom used the fireplaces for more than _ambiance_.

It was stupid to not let him go through the same testing as his peers and simply have his license be official on his seventeenth birthday. Before then he wouldn't be allowed to use any magic legally anyway, so what was the difference? It would be a major inconvenience for everyone involved for the younger students of each year to individually schedule time with the Ministry for their test instead of in a group with the rest. Especially for muggle born students whose parents weren't familiar with the Ministry. This was Draco Malfoy now, conscious of a minor trouble of muggleborn life.

He had a ring and was going to propose to Ginny Weasley. He was seriously considering asking Lovegood for advice. Or Abbott.

*****Ginny*****

Draco was especially cute when he was nervous. It was funny how she could go from thinking he was an ugly, rat-faced boy to thinking he was a distinctive, attractive, sexy even, young man. And he hadn't really changed. His hair looked a bit better, and he had a bit of stubble, which was hard to see but she liked the scratchy feel of against her face. She would tease him that there was a bit of ginger in his beard, so he'd probably never let it grow. It would be patchy now anyway, she thought. Plenty more men had red in their beards than their head hair, but she figured they had a good chance of having ginger children. She wondered what Draco would look like by then. His father was a horrible, evil man, but still attractive. She didn't think Draco would look so much like him. For one, she thought Draco's hairline was already slightly higher than when they were children. He'd probably lose most of it before he was forty, maybe thirty. He'd make it work. And it didn't matter.

"Love you," she told him. Because it was nice to say, at it always made him smile.

"Love you too," he said, hesitantly. "Madam Puddifoot's has a table reserved for us if you wish," he said, walking more briskly.

"After last Valentine's Day? You hate the place, we don't have to," Ginny responded.

"I don't hate the place," Draco lied to her. Or exaggerated, at least. "But we could go to Honeydukes now, if you like? Sherbert balls and Honeydukes finest chocolates?" he offered.

"You just sent me fudge on actual Valentine's Day. That was two weeks ago. You're trying extra hard to please me today. Looking for a little something _extra_ tonight?" Ginny teased. But her heart was beating twice as fast. If he wanted something more physical, she wanted to know right now. And then she could... think about it, or they could talk, or whatever you were supposed to do when this was definitely going to be the person you spent the rest of your life with. No big screw ups, because no do-overs. Obliviators didn't cover awkward teenage first sex, or a- something that wasn't sex but was more than fondling her breasts when she was still at least mostly clothed, which was as far as they'd gone before. "I do need to go to Honeydukes though. Today's Ron's birthday, actually. I should get him something, since I've put it off," she said in the ultimate mood-killer.

Draco scowled at her. It was cute. "I- Ginny, I wasn't trying to do- to get anything like that," Draco objected, flustered now, bordering on irritated. Like she hadn't appreciated his sweetness, which was a pretty accurate assessment.

"Sorry. I'm just nervous," Ginny admitted.

"Me too," Draco replied.

Oh, _was he?_ "Are you going to propose? Today?" Ginny rushed out.  
"On- it's practically Valentine's Day," Draco spat. "We are not going to be another cliché," Draco snapped. "And your brother's birthday too?"

"Another? When did we become clichéd?" Ginny demanded. It wasn't the light, playful voice she had intended. Their lives were definitely not common enough to be called a cliché. If they were, she would have more people to relate to.

"Girl and boy from families who hated each other, finding love in unlikely circumstances?" Draco listed off. "Not the sort of thing _I've_ read, but I assume there are tales of it. Abbott and Bones thought it was romantic. And I'm certain that stories of arranged marriages progressing happily are told for generations of pureblood propaganda. Maybe not in the same story usually," Draco allowed.

"Well, I'm glad Hannah and Susan think we have a romantic relationship. I'm surprised they told you and not me," Ginny said. Or at least they hadn't in those words. "What prompted that conversation?" she asked.

"Nothing," Draco sighed.

"You can tell me that you don't want to say something without lying," Ginny said. It was something she'd heard some other girl say, probably. It was stupid. Or it was good advice but a dumb thing to say at that moment.

"I _was_ asking for proposal advice, if you must bloody know. But I'm certainly not going to do it on bloody Valentine's Day," Draco grumbled.

"It's _not_ Valentine's Day," Ginny positively whined. "It's March first, a day that we can remember as just ours, forever. Anything else that might happen to be on the same day is unimportant. I've got too many family members to rule out all of their birthdays and major holidays. We can-" What was a suitable place? Really, no one told third years that by the time they were fourth years, they'd have done everything at Hogsmeade at least twice, and it didn't get more exciting as fifth or sixth years. "I've never been into the mountains," Ginny managed. "We should go there, scenic, beautiful."

"You _want_ me to propose to you," Draco said, smiling now. "Today."

"Maybe," Ginny said. "Yes."

"In the mountains?" he asked.

"That would be a nice memory, yes."

"Doesn't it seem like _you're_ proposing to me?" Draco asked, quite cocky now.

"That's _not_ how it goes. You're the one that's supposed to have the ring. Do you have a ring?" Ginny jumped to.

"I bought a ring. Doesn't mean _I_ have to ask. When has our relationship ever been normal?"

"Now, _now_ it's normal. Do you have the ring with you?" Ginny asked.

"Maybe."

"Draco!" Ginny protested.

"Yes, yes, I do then."

"Good, now we're going to the mountains," Ginny directed, grabbing his hand. "We'll forego the parental permission part because we don't need that, and they'd have to say yes anyway."

"I had your father's permission last summer," Draco said. "For when we were ready."

Ginny almost stopped. "That is the sweetest thing, so I'll stand with that outdated practice this once," Ginny said as she continued to lead him up the hill in the cold. Snow hadn't been cleared from the path once they left the town, so it was more of a guess of where to step going slightly upward, but it was smooth enough.

"Ginny, is this far enough? I don't see any other people, and the town and the mountains are beautiful. Like you. And Hogwarts in the distance? Ginny, it's perfect. You made it perfect," Draco said. He said gooey things like that sometimes because he knew she liked sentimentality. And he had a way with words, even when she knew he was playing it up for her.

"Draco, will you marry me?" Ginny asked, looking at him. His smile was so wide, she could see every one of his teeth. She didn't know when she had decided to speak.

"It will be my honour. Yes, Ginny," he said, and he kissed her, and she returned it. Definitely one of their best kisses, even though it was relatively chaste.

"Will you still ask me?" she asked when they broke apart.

"Ginny Weasley-" he started.

"Full name, and on one knee?" she asked. "Sorry, just- please?"

"Anything for you," Draco answered, going through his pockets, sinking his left knee into the snow.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you marry me?" he asked, opening the little box at last.

It was perfect. Ginny was going to cry. Even though she'd dragged him through it, he wanted it too. The ring was beautiful. A large ruby in the middle with diamonds around it. Set in silver- no, white gold, probably. Lovely. And his face. Nervous, like she wouldn't like it, or wouldn't say yes after all that. When she'd just asked _him_.

"Yes, Draco Malfoy, I would like that very much," she said. She hadn't wanted to say his middle name, Lucius, and she hoped he didn't mind. People really needed to be more creative with middle names. They would have to change that, she thought.

He slid the ring onto her finger, it fit perfectly. When done, she grabbed him sideways, into the snow, pushing him into the snow with her. They could use warming charms later.

*****Draco*****

Draco looked at Ginny differently, as his _fiancé_ , not his betrothed. They'd agreed not to mention it for now, even to Ginny's family- _especially_ to Ginny's family in Draco's mind. Because Ron Weasley had a big mouth, and it spent far too much time connected to the biggest mouth in Hogwarts, Lavender Brown. But even Draco could tell it was just to make Granger jealous, which should have been long since accomplished, so he needed to cut the girl loose. Keeping their engagement secret was for their protection. Because the act of choosing each other was more of a statement than either wanted to make publically. Change could be bad for both of them when they were in this not-war, not-peace.

But Draco had conceded to their little group knowing. Because Draco Malfoy had become a trusting person, it seemed. It was a less believable thing than falling for Weaslette. At least Ginny was attractive.

They were the last to arrive that evening, Draco suspected Ginny had lingered late on purpose, and Draco had waited on her. Her ring visible on her finger as they walked in.

"Ginny! Congratulations!" Hannah Abbott squealled, spotting it first. She'd probably been looking for it for weeks. "Let me see the ring!" the girl demanded, Ginny giggling. Bones was right there too, and even Lovegood.

Longbottom and the Creeveys gravitated to Draco.

"Well done, mate," Longbottom greeted in a friendly manner. _Mate?_

"Yeah, very well done. The girls seem to like the ring," Dennis Creevey chimed in, smile wide. Wanting to be one of the men.

"Can I see, Ginny?" Longbottom asked, joining the girls, clapping Draco's shoulder as he left. Longbottom would always be himself.

"How'd you ask her?" Colin asked.

Draco and Ginny made eye contact.

"Outside Hogsmeade, in the mountains covered in snow," Draco decided to say.

"Wicked," Dennis said.

"Practice?" Draco suggested. "Who wants to duel?"

"Me!" both of the younger boys chorused.

"Only if I hear more later," Hannah agreed.

*****Ginny*****

Second Valentine's Day (as she thought of the day they became engaged, even if she would never call it that in Draco's hearing) had been perfect.

She'd heard from Katie that she and Harry never left the grounds, and spent much of the day on the quidditch pitch, sharing a ride on his firebolt. It was a cute idea that she might have to immulate, even if she wouldn't mention the origin.

Demelza, following their joking advice, found herself a sixth year boy. Justin Finch-Fletchley. Hannah and Susan spoke well of the boy, he had been in the DA, and generally more likable than his best friend Ernie MacMillan- not that Ernie was a bad guy, so he had Ginny's approval or course. It maybe also helped that he was a freckled ginger.

Ron and Hermione had been to Hogsmeade together alone. They hadn't called it a date, but Ron was bashfully smiling when he told her all of two sentences about it. " _Well, Harry was busy, but I asked Hermione if she wanted to visit Tomes and Scrolls and Scrivenshaft's with me, and it went well. Went to Honeydukes too, though she didn't want anything."_

She heard from Hannah that the rest of their defence group and Ernie mostly hung out together, a few others popping in and out.

Ginny was _engaged_.

It was a bit of a let down that the world wasn't monumentally different afterwards. But she really didn't want all of Slytherin and their parents knowing about their change of status. Ginny was quite good at nodding to people in the hallway when she and Draco encountered some of his house mates. She never had to actually talk.

Quidditch was good. Gryffindor had their second game the week after Ginny's big day. It was particularly fun to best Zacharias Smith, though their chasers were good. And Ron was still a streaky player, but he didn't take it so… seriously lately, which was much better for him and everyone else. He could miss a save and not entirely collapse afterwards. And Gryffindor chasers were more than good. And Harry was miles ahead of Summerby, though the boy did seem to be playing with a bad cold. Really, he should have gone to Madame Pomfrey's before the match. A relatively easy victory that put them in good point standing.

Classes were mostly boring. After spending so much time with older students the year before, Ginny felt like she was doing the OWL year a second time, which really didn't seem fair. And now she could cast spells silently too- if she had some time to concentrate at least. She was less reliable at it in duels, yelling spells without meaning to, or some of the spells not working if she stayed silent.

...But she had better get better at it quickly.

Ginny hadn't realized she'd cast that stunner silently until her opponent, a Slytherin boy in her year was on the ground, and Snape was closing in on them. She had been treating their Defence Against the Dark Arts class like just another defence practice.

"Miss Weasley, spending time listening to Miss Granger prattle on about her classes and you actually learned something?" Snape sneered. "What does it do for your brother's inferiority complex that his _younger sister_ surpassed his spellwork?"

He silently countered her stun on the boy. It wasn't true, Ron was still better at spells, probably. Better at silent casting, she was almost sure. They'd been doing it in all of their classes, so he must have been by now to survive. Neville was much better than she was, though Neville was far more talented than most people thought. But Snape had almost paid her a compliment, even if it wasn't very true and was also an insult against someone else in her family. And he'd done it without mentioning Draco or Harry, which he must have thought were more likely to teach her wandless casting than Hermione.

"I'm sorry for casting silently if it isn't allowed," she said neutrally instead.

"On the contrary, _you_ will not say another spell aloud in this classroom for the rest of term. I do hope you mastered _Protego_ first," he sneered again.

She hadn't.

Ginny Weasley was offensive by nature, not defensive.

Her opponent didn't have his Head of House's sneer, but he was clearly pleased.

Ginny spent most of the rest of the lesson hitting the floor.

 _Exactly_ what she needed to fit in. Her classmates being either jealous of her skill, or ready to take advantage of her lack of it. _Perfect_. If she made it through the rest of the week to Easter Holiday she would take at least three days in a row to ignore all school related work and enjoy herself. Maybe share a broom flight with Draco if there was a nice day. He had never even been on the Firebolt he'd given her, though she wouldn't mind sharing his Nimbus again either.


	20. End of Something

Chapter 20- End of Something

*****Draco*****

"Theo, what's going on?" Draco shouted, coming to stand in front of the other Slytherin who seemed to be in a hurry to get away from whatever was behind him. Which was the reasonable thing to do, probably.

"Get the _fuck_ out of my way," Nott said, physically shoving Draco aside.

Slytherins _never_ fought with each other outside of the Slytherin common room. That was not something Draco would tolerate.

A silent stunning and disarming spell, and Draco had the better of the other boy. Draco had been practicing more than his housemate.

"Whose side are you on?" Nott demanded from the ground.

"I'm on my own side, protecting myself like any intelligent Slytherin would," Draco maintained. It had been his line for a year, when he'd been pressed to say anything at all, which wasn't often.

Nott was on his feet again already, so Draco's spell hadn't been very good. Intent was what mattered, and Draco had never raised his wand against a fellow housemate before, someone he'd shared a room with for years, and had played with as a small child. They'd been… sort of friends. When was the last time they'd had a conversation?

"Not possible anymore. You've got two options, thanks to the Weasleys. I only had one," the boy said. Draco resisted taking a step back.

"I'm not like the Weasleys at all. I can only tolerate Ginny, and she's not really like the rest of them," he maintained. Another line. It was made easier when Ginny hadn't gone home for Christmas like the rest of her family, but could someone really think that Ginny Weasley would turn her back on her family? Though her brother Percy had, it seemed.

"You'll have to choose soon," Nott gave a little chuckle.

"No, I don't. And you don't have to either," Draco said.

Theo laughed.

Nott had been the one behind things that year, Draco now felt. Knew. And whatever was happening in the castle now. Draco had wondered who… Other, older and more powerful people were supposed to _fix_ this. Or Potter. Draco Malfoy had become someone who counted on Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter.

" _I_ will be among his most trusted, perhaps his very most. Pushing far past people like your father, or mine. I just killed Albus Dumbledore," the boy declared.

Boy. Were they still boys? Was Theo still a boy if he had killed?

Albus Dumbledore.

Draco had never liked the man, never really had reason to trust him but…

"Now, give me my wand, and maybe I won't mention our little altercation. For old time's sake. In another year, I _might_ even bring you forward to join our ranks. Once you've proven yourself," he declared.

He had to do it.

Draco held out the wand, trying not to shake. How had this… teenage boy beaten Albus Dumbledore? Because of Dumbledore's character. The old man probably hadn't wanted to actually hurt the young man, even if he was a Slytherin and the son of a Death Eater. Dumbledore probably had thought there was still hope.

Draco needed to find the others, mostly Ginny.

Hogwarts was done.

Halls were chaos. People would die. Draco kept low with a shield charm in place. No one attacked him, Death Eater or Order member. He supposed no one knew what to think of him so they didn't yet want to kill him. It had been what he'd aimed for since Tom Riddle had been in his house. He thought he heard Dora's voice, but he kept going.

*****Ginny*****

Dennis Creevey's voice echoed through the common room. "Death Eaters coming from the Room of Requirement," it said, and his wallaby patronus faded. Ginny hadn't known what the animal was before Dennis first made his corporeal patronus, just last week. It was basically a small kangaroo.

Ginny wasn't sure how many other Gryffindors ran for the door with her. She was the first to it.

If someone else sent a message to Slytherin, what would it say? 'Stay quiet and safe' or 'Come, be a Death Eater now'? What about the other Houses? How far could she send a patronus? All the way to the Order Headquarters in London? She had only sent one with a message to the other side of the Room of Requirement. Dennis or Colin- they were usually together- would have told their Head of House, maybe Dumbledore himself, and they would do what was best. She couldn't send anything to Draco, because she might make whatever situation he was in worse for him.

"Ginny," a hand gripping on her shoulder slowed her down.

"Harry?" Ginny protested. Who was he to stop her?

"Take a small sip," he said, handing her a vial. She did it without question. She owed him enough, and they didn't have time. "Liquid luck," he explained. "Neville," he called next. Ginny kept going. If that worked, why weren't they always on the stuff? Was Tom? Was _He_ there too?

Death Eaters were terrifying. Masks hiding their identities, but did that matter? All of them were dangerous and evil. But they weren't using killing curses, and neither were the rest of them, the defenders. Teachers, Gryffindors, maybe others. Ginny ran over to Dennis and Colin who were fighting a masked Death Eater. Bellatrix was somewhere in hearing distance, cackling. Ginny didn't think she was wearing a mask. Ginny couldn't hurt her or Lucius, as much as she wanted to.

Dennis fell over, screaming. Ginny thought it was the Cruciatus Curse. Their Death Eater ran away. All of them were running, shielding. Did no killing curses mean no killing? She could hope that the bodies on the ground as she ran weren't dead. There was blood further down the hall, but no body, which seemed good.

Into the first main staircases, Death Eaters running and jumping, moving staircases, cushioning charms, things Ginny had only imagined that not even the twins had done.

Until now. Fred and George were _there_ , running into the staircases from two floors below. And Tonks- she could tell by the clothes not the face- then Bill, then other Order members Ginny didn't know as well. The Death Eaters were off down another hallway. Loud spells colliding, but not damaging ones. Ginny slid down a rail that was moving to the right direction.

Fear was what _they_ wanted, chaos. Tom cared about Hogwarts, wouldn't want it really destroyed. She knew how he felt about the castle when… he was her age, and that much wouldn't have changed. But _he_ wanted everyone to know it wasn't really safe. Ginny told herself that she didn't have time to be afraid, but she did, she was. She was slower at running than some of them. When she burst into the Great Hall, the Gryffindor hourglass was shattered, gems scattered, it would have been deliberate. They couldn't have really been rubies, she thought for some reason. The doors were open to the outside, so Ginny kept running. She could see Neville ahead.

When she got outside, the Death Eaters were already escaping from the grounds. Their apparitions audible in those numbers.

It was dark, and she craned her head up at the sickly, green image that she'd seen at the Quidditch World Cup.

Someone was dead.

*****Ginny*****

"Do you think Snape could really be on their side?" Ginny asked. She'd defended him to Ron, Hermione, and Harry, or at least pointed out that they didn't know anything. But Draco had never been confident about Snape's leanings. Both sides had trusted him for so long, or at least trusted him enough.

Their former potions and defence teacher, and Order spy had left with the other Death Eaters. But that didn't mean that he had done anything worse, except probably helped them escape, but it was good to get them _off_ the grounds, wasn't it? No one had died except Dumbledore, but that still didn't feel real.

Theodore Nott had killed Albus Dumbledore in the Headmaster's Office, by the killing curse. The boy that Draco had played with as a child. Who had lost his mother early in life like Luna had. But a sad childhood didn't excuse murder, like it didn't for Tom. But what if there were other factors that Ginny didn't know about?

There had been a funeral. Lots of people had been at the castle. Some of those same people who probably called Dumbledore a liar and denied Tom's existence until a year ago. Fickle public. There were probably newspaper articles praising him, but Ginny wouldn't read them. They said he'd been the only one Tom feared.

Exams were cancelled, even though there were three weeks of class left, but Ginny and the other fifth years and seventh years would need to take their OWLs and NEWTs. Classes still met, except Defense and Transfiguration. She sat with Draco sometimes as she revised, or with Luna. Some parents took their children out of the school. Ginny wondered if they would be back next term.

Neville had gotten them to go to the Room of Requirement again. He said it wasn't the room or the castle's fault that the Death Eaters had gotten in. He'd pointed out very reasonably that when they were using the room, the castle was even safer, because whatever configuration or hidden object in the room that let the Death Eaters in couldn't be activated. The Creevy boys were _older_ now, like Neville had been after the Ministry. Luna, Susan, and Hannah hadn't known anything was happening until it was over.

Just two weeks before, Ginny had been flying around the empty quidditch pitch in Draco's arms. The first really nice day that made her believe spring was coming and would be beautiful. Feeling _all_ of him pressed up against her. Climbing, diving, flying fast, flying slow, high, low. Him in control, her in control, sharing control. It was beautiful. There had been lovely days since then, but no casual flying. Quidditch season was over, her excitement over winning the cup a distant memory.

No one had died, besides Dumbledore. Bill had been hurt, by Fenrir Greyback. One swipe across the back. And then Tonks had been there, forcing the monster away. Monster because of who he was, not because he was a werewolf. She'd thought he'd been unconscious when she got her own scratch. But they'd both assured Ginny and Draco that they'd be fine. Bill and Draco hadn't said much of anything to each other.

"I think he hasn't betrayed me, when he's seen in my head," Draco answered. Ginny had forgotten the question. Wondering if Snape was on their side, yeah. The biggest question around, maybe. That was an argument she hadn't used with her other friends. It said too much about Draco, and they wouldn't find it convincing anyway. "But it could just be an- affection for me, not for Dumbledore and his Order's cause." Because Snape had been friends with Lucius Malfoy for longer than Harry would have known, and that wouldn't make him trust the man any more. And it shouldn't. She would argue for their former professor in their company, but she wasn't at all sure. He wasn't a blind follower of Tom, she was sure of that, but that didn't make him on their side.

"Yeah, maybe," Ginny answered. They were just saying things they both already knew. "I guess we're living at the Burrow again," Ginny said. Headquarters didn't have its secret keeper, which would mean it wasn't protected anymore, or at least not as tightly, from what Ginny understood about charm. Even if Snape contacted McGonagall or anyone else in the Order, Ginny wouldn't know about it. "You can still come to the wedding?"

"I'll be there," Draco answered.

Bill was getting married before her. It was right for the oldest to get married before the youngest. Sometimes none of that felt real. Sometimes it felt like she and Draco were just dating and would one day get married, probably. Like Bill and Fleur. She hadn't always liked Fleur, but it was just jealousy. That Fleur was unnaturally beautiful, and had a normal love life.

"And maybe I can visit you again first," Ginny said.

"That will be nice," Draco said. He looked lost.

"We are _engaged_ , after all," she pointed out, waving her hand, which had the ring on it. She let it be seen sometimes, like when they were alone, or during their defense practices, and when she slept. Draco nodded. They'd agreed that Ginny could tell the rest of her family when the time felt right. Draco wouldn't mind missing that.

"Hey," Ginny said, making him look at her. "We'll be okay," she said, the most trite line ever. "And why don't we just snog for a while, yeah?" she proposed. Snogging hadn't gotten old yet, she hoped it wouldn't, even when they moved far beyond it. Eventually. Draco smiled at her suggestion.

*****Draco*****

Perhaps the strangest conversation in his life happened the evening Ginny finished her last OWL, and they were going to celebrate with dinner alone in the Room of Requirement. He was loitering two hallways from Gryffindor portrait to meet her.

"Can we come to your defense practice?" Harry Potter asked him. Potter could have used his map to find Draco, which Draco greatly disliked his childhood rival having that power.

"Ask Ginny," Draco decided that was most fair, and most likely to get rid of Potter. Ginny would protect Draco's feelings but know that Potter could really use worthy practice. And Potter was good.

"Neville said anyone coming into the room had to be unanimously accepted, so we should talk to you. And I thought coming to you just me might work better."

"And did your friends agree that you were the best messenger?" Draco asked, curious.

"No, Hermione said she would be the most level headed, and Ron thought he should do it, since the two of you can't hurt each other." Part of the betrothal contract, yes.

"I would have chosen Weasley, for that reason and others," Draco said.

"Yeah, well, if you tell me no, i'll be sure to send in Ron," Potter shrugged.

"Because they do what you tell them to do?" Draco questioned.

Potter seemed to actually think about it, "Not really. Sometimes. Ron more than Hermione. I don't think they thought this would work no matter who talked to you. I didn't think I cared, you know? The three of us can practice spells. I could get together the rest of the DA if I wanted to, probably. Term's almost over anyway, it should be the best part, no classes, no exams- again. But I actually _want_ to take exams, because that would mean my world was normal. You know I've only taken end of term exams in first and third year? And then the OWLs last year, but we'd have had to make those up. So I'm two for five, and in those years, my world didn't collapse until _after_ end of term exams," Potter ranted.

The school hadn't had exams their second year or this one, and Potter had been exempt their fourth year as a 'champion'. Didn't feel like a school sometimes.

"You'd make our number odd," Draco pointed out.

Potter opened his mouth twice before saying, "I could bring Katie," he said, listing his girlfriend. Or at least, Draco assumed that was still going on. Would it survive the girl graduating though? Likely not. And Potter's life would always be different until Tom was dead. He was the 'Chosen One."

Another possible Gryffindor in the group, but the girl didn't seem bad.

"If she wishes. Uneven numbers are fine for some practices," Draco said. And sometimes someone had to miss, or Neville would work with those having trouble, usually one or both Creevy boy, or Abbott. "Tomorrow after dinner," Draco said. "Assuming no one else objects," he allowed. No one would. They'd all spend the night staring at him though.

It would be the last before they went home, probably.

"I'll try to find Luna before then, but she won't mind. And Ginny would have said if she did."

"Creevy brothers, Hannah Abbott, and Susan Bones," Draco listed.

Potter seemed surprised. It was a large portion of his old group.

"Yeah, okay," the other boy agreed. None of them would mind.

"Potter asked if they could join our 'study' group," Draco said when Ginny's mouth was full of steak. Her eyes widened, and she gestured in a circular manor for him to keep talking.

"Nothing more to say, is there?" he asked back.

"Unfair Slytherin," Ginny got out through her mouthful. She was cute even then.

"I allowed it," Draco informed her. It was rather mature of him, wasn't it? They had been rivals since Potter refused to even shake his hand and publicly rejected him. He could now recognize reasons why, but it hadn't been entirely young Draco's fault.

"Was it just so you could finally beat him in a duel?" Ginny asked. So she thought he would win- or just thought that he would think so.

"The boy needs practice, doesn't he?" Draco said instead, neutrally.

*****Ginny*****

In the Room of Requirement, nothing felt different, usually. Except now Harry, Hermione, and Ron were there. And yet it felt even less like the DA than usual, because Harry was very obviously not in charge. No one was in charge. Which probably wouldn't work for a group larger than theirs. Usually it was Ginny or Draco or Neville who suggested something at first, but Susan and Colin started voicing what they wanted to work on, usually in smaller groups, and finally Dennis and Hannah as well. Luna was content with anything, it seemed, but Ginny thought she would feel comfortable speaking up if she needed. Usually Dennis wanted to fight with his brother against Draco. It wasn't an aggressive thing, just Draco was the best at facing two opponents at once. The youngest boy gravitated towards Neville when he wanted to learn something new, and to Draco when he wanted to practice. Or maybe it was a male bonding thing for the younger boy.

And Draco wasn't trying to fight Harry. They both seemed content to stay on opposite sides of the room. Harry worked with Katie, and Hermione with Ron. It was tense, but nice that they were all together.

"Hey, Harry, wait a second," Ginny wanted to hold him back when everyone seemed done by mutual agreement. Draco gave her a raised eyebrow look, but left with the Creevy boys. It was a shame that Draco had never gotten to be a big brother. It would have been good for him. Katie waved at Ginny in a friendly way. So she wasn't worried. And maybe Draco was curious, not worried.

"Have a good summer, Ginny," Hannah called, smiling. Ginny wished she knew the Hufflepuff girl better. "And you too," Hannah added.

"Ginny?" Harry asked when they were alone. He looked tired.

"It was nice of you to come today," Ginny started.

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"You and Katie seem good," she observed.

"Yeah," Harry answered again.

"Are you going to break up with her before you go off on your mission?" Ginny asked.

"What?" Harry protested, off balance.

"Dumbledore was working on something, and you were helping him," Ginny said slowly. She noticed things. She had watched Harry Potter for five years. It was habit long ago, and the way to not entirely miss whatever exciting or important was going on.

"I- yeah, sort of," Harry admitted. "But I can't tell you anything," he maintained.

"Hopefully Dumbledore actually gave you enough information to keep going on your own?" Ginny pressed. "Well, with Ron and Hermione, and anyone else you actually _let_ help you. We exist too, you know."

"I- have some things to go on, yeah," Harry said.

"Because Dumbledore is not always a fount of useful information, and always knows more than he says. He hardly tells you anything, and he tells even less to anyone except maybe McGonagall," Ginny said. She knew that the twins didn't feel like they knew everything, even after joining the Order. "You do know that most Hogwarts students never actually talked to Albus Dumbledore ever, right?" Ginny checked, because she wasn't sure that Harry knew.

"He- we did something a few days before he- died, and he told me stuff he wouldn't normally say. He'd been in a bad way since his hand, more than he let on. He was- going to die pretty soon, I think. He almost died that day," Harry admitted. It was more than Ginny had thought he would say. Though Harry wasn't as tight-lipped as the Headmaster, he had at least a hundred years less experience at it. "And he knew someone was supposed to kill him- more than just the poisoning last term- and he thought he could change their mind. I- still sort of thought it was Malfoy."

"Yeah, you can be pretty single-minded, Potter," Ginny joked. It wasn't a good joke. It might have been, probably would have been Malfoy if they hadn't kept him away from Malfoy Manor last summer. He would have been tricked, bribed, or threatened into trying. It would break him. Tom broke people, and she couldn't judge anyone for that, when he'd broken her. But it didn't mean those people didn't have to be stopped, maybe killed. But Draco wouldn't be one of them now.

"He's _really_ not a bad guy to you? I mean, I know you have a lot of older brothers looking out for you, and you can take care of yourself, but none of you could actually hurt Malfoy, and- I could- if he needed it, you know?" Harry said, looking at his feet.

"Not a bad guy, and I'm _going_ to marry him," Ginny said calmly.

"Yeah, but you have to," Harry protested.

"I want to," Ginny said, going ahead and waving the ring in his face. She'd essentially made the decision when she hadn't hidden it at the beginning of practice. Draco hadn't objected, and he noticed things like that. He'd held her hand, fingers rubbing over her ring. He was romantic like that. Hermione definitely noticed. And she wouldn't keep anything from the boys forever. "Don't talk about it except with Hermione and Ron, and they need to keep quiet too. The others of our group have already known," she added.

"Wow," Harry breathed. "You're- we're all really young," Harry amended what he was going to say slightly.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't be getting married this young if the contract didn't exist, but that doesn't mean I don't want to now," Ginny said.

"I figured with all this defense practice with him you weren't just hoping he'd die in the war so you could marry someone else," Harry muttered.

"That's correct. And I'm going to pretend you didn't say it. I know you probably think about people dying a lot. I do too sometimes. You should probably talk to Harry and Ron about it. Or my parents. You're coming to Bill's wedding before you head off to do whatever?" she checked. Ron needed to be there. And Harry was family too, and Hermione.

"Yeah, I'll be there," Harry agreed.

"Have a good summer, Harry," Ginny said, going off to find Draco again. They'd find somewhere besides the Room of Requirement to talk. If Dumbledore had been dying anyway, did that change anything about his death? Maybe Dumbledore was better off at peace earlier. But it wasn't better for anyone else.

She should try to grab Ron and tell him about the ring before he heard it from Harry or Hermione. It was the sister, but also friend, thing to do. She'd find Ron and then Draco.

 **A/N: Sorry for the delays. I've been on an Avenger's kick lately and not feeling very inspired here. Any encouragement and inspiration would be appreciated.**


	21. Homes

Chapter 21- Home

*****Ginny*****

Ginny had been impressive in most of her OWL practicals, and she didn't try to hide it. She had been doing most of her spellwork silently since the incident with Snape, and she was better for it. Confusing, conflicting Snape making her a better witch. She still shouted her patronus, but it was more than impressive enough.

She'd done well enough in her written portions to doubtless take any of the classes at NEWT level that she wished to take, and some that she would have no interest in. History, she didn't even revise for. Why bother? Better to be efficient on ones she actually cared about. Astronomy, everyone hardly remembered existed. She probably passed Runes, but would drop it anyway. She didn't think she was likely to have a future relating to Herbology or Potions, it wasn't for her. Sprout was kind, and Slughorn was well connected, but she would still be in Slug Club, assuming Slughorn didn't go on the run again disguising himself as furniture.

They'd have some new Defence teacher, how Dumbledore had always found someone was a mystery, and now he wasn't around to do the convincing, so could she really sign for that without a spare class? The minimum number was only three- which the twins had opted for, but most students kept about five classes. Charms and Transfiguration were stable choices. Creatures… maybe. Or maybe she should have just failed almost everything like the twins had. If quidditch had a real chance of being her future… and she had Malfoy money cushioning her… Charms, Transfiguration, Defence, and a fourth so she could drop Defence if needed... Draco had kept Potions and Herbology, and the three Ginny had already decided on. Neither of those were too bad, she supposed...

 _Albus Dumbledore was dead._ That would interrupt her thoughts occasionally.

Bill was getting married, that was a happy thing. In another year, it would be her. And she still wouldn't have graduated from Hogwarts.

 _Albus Dumbledore was dead_. No one in probably three generations remembered Hogwarts before Dumbledore. Even if he probably didn't feel like the whole school when he was just one teacher. But maybe he always felt like that if Tom had feared him.

Cowardly Tom forcing a child to kill his rival, because Dumbledore wouldn't kill a child. Ginny tried not to fall into the hero-worship of anyone (like she had of Harry for those years), but it was a struggle not to with Albus Dumbledore. She had seen his faults sometimes, in dealings with Harry and with Slytherins especially. But he was- had been- Albus Dumbledore. He could have been the Minister of Magic for decades if he'd wanted it. And she owed him personally for her not being married when she was barely fourteen, when she definitely wouldn't have been ready for it. Would they have done as well getting to know each other if they had been married for it? Would they have had sex that young?

"Are the wrackspurts bothering you?" Luna asked her. "They usually leave you alone."

"I'm fine," Ginny said.

They were on the train, even Draco was with them. And Harry Ron and Hermione, though they'd arrived late in the compartment. Draco was uncomfortable after they arrived, and he had disappeared for a while, and probably would again , but he was there now, and Ginny appreciated their time together, even when she was lost in thought. She squeezed Draco's hand.

*****Draco****

Aunt Andromeda, Uncle Ted, and Dora had all asked him if or how he needed help getting home from Hogwarts. They'd called it "home" too. They hadn't asked if he was coming, just how he wanted to get there.

No one at the castle had mentioned it. Snape was gone, Dumbledore was dead, McGonagall had too many things to do, and even if they had some strange respect, he wasn't one of her students in the way the Gryffindors were. And she just had more to do as acting Headmistress. Slughorn was acting as the Head of Slytherin, but he wasn't really doing much. The man was afraid. As any reasonable human would be.

Draco would apparate there from the station, not even leaving the train. His auror cousin and her parents didn't question the legality of this, even though they all knew his birthday. He would have just left from the station in Hogsmeade, but he would see Ginny little enough that summer that he said he'd stay for the train ride.

Potter and his friends settled in their compartment. Everyone of their training group except Lovegood looked at him expectantly when the three traipsed in.

But they'd tolerated each other well enough for that one session in the Room of Requirement. Draco wouldn't make a scene.

Potter would have been more affected than almost anyone by Dumbledore's death, because Potter had seemed closer to Dumbledore than any student and many of the staff, Draco thought. Which just showed that the boy really was the "Chosen One." Or maybe that was just public image. Draco didn't know Potter's schedule that well, and would have never asked Ginny about it, but he had heard recent whisperings that Potter had met with the Headmaster regularly. Teaching him secret things, passing on the legacy of the great defender of the Light, whatever it was. Draco didn't say anything to him, and Potter returned the favour, as did Weasley, and miraculously Granger as well.

When Draco couldn't stand Lovegood's ramblings, Longbottoms attempts at conversations, the Hufflepuffs' and Creevy boys' chatter, Weasley's exploding snap, or the… the… not talking about anything that mattered, he got up and roamed the corridors. Neutral faced, nodding at everyone he knew. He didn't want to talk, he didn't want to not talk, he didn't want to sit. Walking didn't really help. When people met his eyes, and surprisingly most of them did, from any house, that helped a bit, but not much.

He returned to the compartment, and most of them were in muggle clothes that they had probably worn under their robes that morning. Longbottom hadn't changed, but he was like a Malfoy in that way. His grandmother would avoid muggle London. He was Sacred Twenty-Eight, though so were the Weasleys in their bright jumpers. It was a cold June. From what Draco had heard, Susan was going home with Hannah. The girl could probably use some cheerful chatter. They were all doing as well as they could.

"Hey, glad you're back. Are you leaving the train?" Ginny asked as he grabbed his trunk, and the empty owl cage that he'd rarely ever used.

"No reason to, and less attention here," he shrugged.

"You can't- apparate," Granger protested, because naturally, the girl had listened and understood. He stared at her.

"We took the same class. I was better at it than you in fact. Not a normal experience for you, I know," Draco said. It was almost nice to Granger by their standards. Apparition was instinct, almost like flying, the only thing Granger had ever been terrible at in school.

"You're not licensed, you're not even seventeen," Granger objected.

"Granger, I hate to- no, I _enjoy_ telling you that you've broken far more laws than I have. And you'll continue to do so. I would think that eventually you'd learn that the ' _crimes'_ where no one gets hurt- they don't matter." It sounded… cool.

"I'll see you soon Ginny. Love you," he said so that Granger wouldn't be the last person he talked to in the compartment. Especially if he did splinch himself- even though he wouldn't. He always needed to be aware of the risk. He didn't say 'love' much, had certainly not planned on saying it where Potter, Granger, or Ron Weasley could hear it.

"Love you too," Ginny answered easily.

Draco apparated right into his bedroom. He had access through the wards, and it was the part of the house he knew the best.

"Ted!" Aunt Andromeda shouted as her face appeared in Draco's doorway. He was in one piece and fine, and all of his things were there. It was wise that he'd let Eagle, his eagle owl, fly home on his own, but Draco could have done that too, he felt. But Eagle hadn't ridden the train since Draco was a first year, because there wasn't any point it doing that to him.

"Draco, I'm so glad you're home," his aunt told him, wrapping him in a hug. "I was worried over you apparating alone. And Hogwarts! A... battle _inside_ Hogwarts grounds? That school felt safer when we were there. When _Dora_ was there, even, and that's just been a few years."

"Can I get in on the hug?" Ted asked, and waited until Draco nodded. His arms were stronger than his wife's, around both of them.

Draco had never thought of hugs as a manly activity. Maybe to a girlfriend or wife, maybe. His mother had hugged him often, but not his father. Mr. Weasley hugged Ginny, Draco thought, but those were the Weasleys. Though Uncle Ted was a Hufflepuff. And a muggleborn, if that mattered. But it probably didn't.

Draco didn't know he was going to cry until he was. The hug just got tighter. It felt really good.

"Let it out," Ted, Uncle Ted, advised.

"Oh, Draco what's wrong?" Aunt Andromeda asked.

"I asked Ginny to marry me. Got a ring. She said yes," which he hadn't known he was going to say. He had planned on telling them, of course, but not while crying two minutes after he arrived.

"That's wonderful, dear," Andromeda said.

"Okay to cry happy tears," Ted added.

"My dad-" it felt wrong calling the man something so familiar. It was weird that he said it. 'Dad' was a work that Dora and Ginny used. "My _father_ was at Hogwarts, I'm almost certain. Ginny said she heard Bellatrix's voice. Ginny chased after them."

Bellatrix was his aunt's sister. That might hurt her. Andromeda didn't seem to be thinking about that when she spoke, "Just like Dora. Ginny is a brave girl, and we're glad that she's safe. You don't have to do something like that. It would be good to have _one_ who doesn't worry us so often." Dora had been hurt. One _what?_

"One what?" Draco asked, when he'd meant to say something else entirely.

"A... child," Andromeda answered.

"I'm not a child," Draco protested. But he still didn't struggle away. He was getting hugged like a frantic, crying child. He couldn't remember ever crying this hard or long.

"Ted?" his aunt sniffed. She was crying too, mostly silently.

"Dora is," Ted explained. "Always will be. We're not trying to presume anything, Draco, or fill any role you don't want filled. And I do believe in second chances. And- and- seventy-seventh chances, sometimes. And I hope your mother and father prove worthy of it one day, because I know they love you very much. But Andromda is trying to say that we don't think of you as _a_ child, but as _our_ child."

That was too much. And yet he didn't push away, couldn't. They didn't know him well enough for that. They didn't know the real him.

"Theo- Theodore Nott killed Dumbledore. He had been my best friend when we were young. Could've- _would've-_ been me."

Andromeda cried audibly then, hugging him tighter.

"That would never have been you, Draco," Ted assured him. "You might have been given the- mission, but you wouldn't have done it."

"You didn't _know me_ until I'd known Ginny almost a year," Draco protested. "If I didn't have her, and- the two of you, and this house. If they'd _made_ me, if they'd threatened..." If they'd threatened his mother's life. And his father's too. His whole life would have been different. These two people would have been strangers to him.

"A person threatened enough is _just_ as controlled as someone under the Imperius Curse, but you would have done anything you could to avoid it," Uncle Ted maintained.

"Thank you," Draco sniffed. He wanted to put his head on his uncle's shoulder, so he did, just like that. Ted was family because he'd let Draco into his life and his home. The man's wife's sister's son, even though Andromeda's family had ignored and denied her existence for over two decades. "For everything, for a place to stay."

"This is your _home_. You can have many homes. And if we move again, you will have a home there too," Ted promised. "Okay? It's been a heavy day already. We just- want you to know that we love you, Draco, and we're proud of you, and we don't expect anything in return."

Draco closed his eyes. It was easier that way. They'd hardly known him for any time at all, and hadn't spent that much of that time with him. Just the previous summer and some letters. But maybe they'd known him for most of the... important time, when he was already who he was now, becoming whoever he was becoming.

"I told Ginny I loved her," he whispered. "I haven't said that except to my mother. And to my father when I was very young."

"That's really great, Draco," Ted said. He was better at talking about this than Andromeda. She was born in Draco's family after all. But she held onto him tightly too. She'd _chosen_ to be in Ted's family.

"Dinner?" Draco asked, raising his head, but not dropping his own arms. It was possibly cowardly to escape the emotion, but he wasn't a Gryffindor- or a Hufflepuff.

Andromeda dropped one hand, but Ted didn't let go. "Is that your polite teenager way of wanting to be free?" the man asked. "Because I never stop a hug first."

"Yeah," Draco said, letting his arms fall, and then Ted did as well. Andromeda backed up, wiping her eyes.

"Ted made a roast," she said. "I do miss having a house elf sometimes."

"If we can make potions, I figure I could learn to make soup," Draco shrugged.

Andromeda smiled. "It isn't so hard. We could practice together this summer. Ted has an _instinct_ for it though, so we're lucky to have him."

"Yeah," Draco agreed. _Lucky for lots of reasons._

"Well, let's eat it, and you can start telling us all of the best parts of the year. Of course you can tell us the bad parts any time," he added.

"How did you propose?" Andromeda jumped in.

They were a very good audience. And Draco always had liked to talk. He hadn't felt comfortable talking often to his parents at home, and Ginny- already knew all of the happiest stories about him, because she was there for them. He told the full story.

"I bought the ring after- I knew I wanted to after- a really good day. I had cast my first patronus and thought of her. And she took me to meet-" how would he explain that?- "This hippogriff that hurt me as a third year, and it was my fault, though also partially the instructor's," Draco said. His aunt and uncle nodded in understanding. "And my father was going to get the creature killed, and I supported it- but it didn't happen obviously or I wouldn't have been re-meeting the creature. It was a- growth moment I guess, Ginny trusting me with another secret. And then I told her I loved her, and she said it back."

"That sounds perfect, Draco. What's your patronus? Very impressive magic," Ted said.

"A- unicorn," Draco admitted.

" _Very_ impressive," Ted said again solemnly. "And don't let us stop you from eating."

"What does the ring look like?" Andromeda asked immediately.

"A ruby set in white gold, surrounded by small diamonds," Draco described. Not fully Gryffindor or Slytherin colors.

"Well done," Andromeda observed.

"And your classes went well enough?" Ted asked. They wanted to hear everything about his year.

"They did," Draco answered. "It was a relief to drop a few of them, I admit."

"Oh, yes. My favourite thing about sixth year was stopping taking Astronomy. I had actually been looking forward to the class as a first year, a class I could understand, you know? But Muggles have made much more accurate observations of the stars, and far distant planets, and you could study _those_ models at a reasonable hour instead of keeping us up at midnight. In my childhood, men sent satellites up, sent pictures home, sent a man to _orbit the earth_ \- in under two hours, a Russian man. Americans first claimed the moon. They hadn't liked being beaten into space. And _I_ had to use a telescope no more powerful than Galileo's even though it was three hundred fifty years later."

"Dropping Astronomy was your _favourite thing_ about sixth year?" Andromeda drawled.

"No, of course not, darling. Every moment spent with you was the best and most important. But, fewer classes gave me more time with you, didn't it?" he smoothed.

He enjoyed watching his aunt and uncle's playful interactions. They fit well together, in serious moments and light ones, and were obviously very much in love.

Ted and Andromeda talked about their day, and a few highlights from the year. They had visited Ted's younger brother for Christmas, and the youngest boy saw Andromeda use magic to clean a spill off her dress, but three year olds are pretty easy to handle, no obliviating needed. Ted's brother knew of magic, but the man hadn't told his family, from what Draco understood. "Of course, muggleborns do crop up twice in a family sometimes. Wouldn't be surprised if Eric had one. He thinks they're done having kids, and doesn't think any of his are magical, but _I_ wouldn't be surprised," he said.

"Thank you for dinner," Draco said when the conversation and meal seemed over.

*****Ginny*****

"No bits of him left behind," Ron said, breaking the silence.

" _Ron_ ," Ginny complained.

"Hey, I didn't say I _wanted_ to deal with any part of Malfoy left. I'm glad he made it out okay, yeah?"

"Let's just go," Ginny said.

"That was some pretty deep stuff there though, yeah? All smartass comeback exit and then saying he loved you?" It sounded like a question at the end.

"Yeah, we're engaged, remember? And not _just_ because we have to get married. I love him and he loves me."

"Not wearing your ring," Ron observed. Everyone else still in the compartment of the stopped train seemed in no hurry to leave or to interrupt the family conversation, looking between the two Weasleys. "Are you going to tell Mum and Dad?" he asked.

"Draco and I agreed that I could whenever I wanted, but I haven't decided when yet," Ginny said.

"Whatever," Ron said, grabbing his own trunk.

They'd have a whole summer to- something. To talk about it or not talk about it. Maybe. They'd have at least until after Bill's wedding. Ron wouldn't go on a crazy something with Harry until at least after the wedding. And Harry was still going to his awful relatives' house- which made less and less sense each year.

Probably nothing would happen, just a boring summer. The whole world wasn't- different. It would be annoying that she was the last Weasley who was too young to legally use magic at home, and her parents were law-abiding on those things. She'd see Hermione fairly soon into the summer, and Luna was coming at least to the wedding. But she'd see Luna more if she could. They would be back at the Burrow, with Headquarters not having a secret keeper. Of course, her parents probably wouldn't want her to leave the wards, but maybe Luna could floo over, after her father had seen her enough. If a parent could ever see their child enough.

The station was more somber than most years, like the rest of the world. It wasn't going to be a normal summer. The world _was_ different.

Her parents put a brave face on it, and it felt right to be going back to the Burrow. Home. Surely they would have had Bill's wedding there anyway? They couldn't have had the wedding at Grimmauld Place, or they could have only invited Order Members, and the place was grim.

Ginny wondered where her wedding would be. _Not_ at Malfoy Manor.

And speaking of Fleur, Ginny would be sharing her room with the woman that summer, she'd learned. Which would probably make it harder for Hermione to stay too. Ginny was very used to having her own room, one of the perks of being the only girl. And the Burrow having a lot of rooms, even if it achieved that… non-traditionally.

*****Draco*****

"Good night, Draco," Ted called that evening.

"Good night," Draco answered.

"Love you," Ted called back. It _sounded_ like a nightly ritual, though he hadn't heard it shouted last summer, even to Dora.

"Yeah, you too," Draco answered as loudly as he dared.

"I heard that," Ted called again.

*****Ginny*****

Coming home always had an excess of everything, so it never felt like they were poor- only when they went to Diagon Alley did it feel like that. There was excess food, love, hugs. When there were fewer of them in the house, there was excess attention too. And she didn't mind it as much as she did as a child. And Bill was there, and he was the one getting married in a few weeks, so even though Ginny and Ron were the ones newly returned home, Bill took enough of the attention that it was bearable.

Still, Ginny wasn't sad to retire to her room early for the evening, even if she wasn't alone.

"If you want to spend the nights in Bill's room, I wouldn't tell anyone," Ginny said. At least for now Bill still had his own room, though he was working on what would be their house together. On a beach, very romantic.

"I can't tink of you as a leetle girl like Gabrielle, can I?" Fleur said. Fleur was inhumanly gorgeous.

"Isn't Gabrielle-" Ginny remembered the tiny girl Harry had saved. She wouldn't have been more than nine or ten, and that was only a little more than two years ago. Ginny had still been watching everything Harry did then, of course everyone was watching then. Two years could feel like such a long time sometimes, and other times not. "Eleven or twelve?" Ginny asked.

"Eleven," Fleur confirmed. "I know you are much older, but I can forget when Bill tells stories of you. You seem so much like Gabrielle in tem."

"I'm sure she's a sweet girl. But I'm fifteen, almost sixteen, and I've been betrothed for two years. I assume you and your sister don't have to worry about that, or you wouldn't be marrying Bill," Ginny said.

"No, we do not," Fleur confirmed. "But you like dis boy now, yes?" Fleur asked.

"I love him," Ginny said. It was fun to say.

"Tell me about 'im?" the older witch asked.

"We've had a rough time, and have had to grow up a lot together. His- father is a Death Eater, you've probably heard?" Ginny checked. Fleur nodded. "He didn't even know that when we were first forced together. But he'd repeated his family's pureblood supremacist ideas for all his life, and now he doesn't believe them. We- tried to make the best of it, you know? Get along as well as we could… and the snogging has always been good."

Fleur laughed, but not obnoxiously or unkindly.

"We had some fights, one big one because- I didn't trust him enough to let him in on a big secret- but we were still pretty early, you know? But he showed that he really cared about me. And we've just gotten closer and better since then. If Dum- if someone found a way out of the contract now..." Ginny stumbled a bit. Dumbledore was dead. She'd said for two years now that he would be the one to get her out of that contract if anyone could. Except maybe she hadn't talked about it much like that in the last year. "I'd still want to marry him, and maybe even just as quickly. It feels like... why wait? I know that sounds crazy," Ginny shrugged. She wanted to tell about their real engagement, but didn't. Did that make it less real? Draco had probably told Andromeda and Ted hours ago, and didn't her parents deserve that?

"It sounds like love," Fleur corrected.

"I told Mum as a kid that I would never have many children, maybe none at all. She told me I just had to meet the person I wanted to have them with. Now, I'm not saying I want to rush into that- we can be married and childless for a lot of years…"

Fleur laughed again, "Our children will be friends," she said.

"I told Mum on my fourteenth birthday- before the letter arrived- that I wouldn't be the one to make her a grandmother."

" _I_ can be first. T'in she will 'ave to like me," Fleur said. And Ginny tried not to laugh too much. Her mother had been pleasant to the French witch at dinner, Ginny figured they had come to an agreement, or she was accepting the inevitable, and would want to see her grandchildren. It was hard _not_ to be jealous of Fleur, or to believe that Bill saw anything in her besides her beauty, because she was just _so_ beautiful. But Bill was a better man than that, Ginny knew.

"So… you're not worried about ruining your body with babies? I'm seen pictures, Mum was actually _thin_ before she had Bill."

Fleur had a beautiful laugh, "I am not worried. I 'ave always been beautiful. I prefer being loved, and Bill will always tink I am most beautiful woman in ze room."

"I imagine you always will be," Ginny shrugged.

"When I am wit my veela cousins, I am not. But Bill still loves me most. I will… welcome ze… stretch marks and ze scars. And eef I change my mind, magic can 'fix' lots of tings."

"Do you want a lot of kids?" Ginny asked.

"Two ou three leetle girls I tink. I do not know eef I can... 'ave boy. Bill understands dat eet does not matter boy or girl, but I tink he would care eef he did not know you."

It was a flattering thing to say, but Ginny's mind was processing that there would almost certainly be some little one-eigth-veela Weasley girls in a few years. If she hadn't been born... if Draco didn't get married in the next… sixteen or so years… Except he almost certainly would have been. He would have had his own son with someone else- probably Astoria Greengrass- and that boy would have married Bill's daughter.

"Thank you," Ginny answered. "And like I said, if you want to go spend time with Bill… not that I'm trying to kick you out, because I'm not," Ginny said. And she really wasn't… anymore.

"We are not... having sex right now, so I would rather be 'ere," Fleur said.

"Right now?" Ginny asked, even though she really shouldn't have.

"We are so close to wedding, yes. But before…" Yes, she definitely shouldn't have asked. Ginny Weasley wasn't a prude. Not really. But that was her _brother_. Spoiled the girl talk. "Do you know how to take care before sex- to not make your mother grandmother?" the older girl checked.

"Yes I'm fine," Ginny said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'm _fine_ ," Ginny repeated.

"Any more you want to say?" the witch said, conspiratorially. "I will not tell Bill eef you 'ave 'ad need of potion. Potion ees _much_ better zan spells," she instructed.

"Would you tell him if I _hadn't_ have need of potion?" Ginny checked. "Yet. Theoretically."

"It would make eem like your boyfriend more," Fleur laughed.

"I don't think that would happen regardless," Ginny said.

"No one good enough for 'ees leetle sister?"

"Probably not. Maybe Harry," she shrugged.

"'Arry Potter is good man. But not ze _only_ good man. You know potion last only year without taking? You need new supply?" Fleur checked.

"I know. The ingredients themselves last much longer. I haven't _actually_ brewed it before," she admitted.

Fleur smiled. "I will not tell," she said. "Goodnight, friend," she said.

"We're friends now?" Ginny asked.

"We will be sisters soon, yes? But sisters have older and younger. Friends are equal. You will be in wedding, yes?" she asked. "I will make sure your dress is more… womanly than Gabrielle's. Make boyfriend make _crazy eyes._ "

"I'm honoured, thank you," Ginny said.

"Purple, I tink. Will look good on both."

"Not worried about the bridesmaids outshining the bride?" Ginny joked.

"No, I am not," she said plainly. "And I only care for Bill. To eem there is sister and eleven year old girl. I will wear white, with some black."

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"I could say... symbol, but I wear because I like."

"Goodnight, friend," Ginny echoed.


	22. A Birthday and a Wedding

Chapter 22- A Birthday and a Wedding

*****Draco*****

Draco read the latest tripe being printed about Dumbledore. He wondered if Death Eaters were in the Prophet, or if Skeeter was just pushing anything that seemed outrageous enough to prompt purchase of her knew book. And now she'd gotten someone to interview her about it.

Draco thought back with annoyance to his fourth year when he had been one of the ones giving information to the distasteful woman. Not his proudest time.

It said Dumbledore dabbled in dark magic in his youth. He probably had. The most powerful wizard of his age probably got _bored_ with Hogwarts courses and went looking for what the school wasn't teaching him. That didn't make the man evil. It didn't mean there was that big of a divide between dark and light. Plenty of the same spells could be used for torture and death as could be used in building a house, or dismantling one. There were plenty of interesting things in Knockturn Alley- the one time Draco had been there when he was twelve. Probably some 'dark' spells that didn't really harm anyone. But Draco didn't know much. Maybe he'd been afraid to learn.

And the stuff with the sister that almost no one knew existed... probably she'd just been a squib. Pureblood families hid them all the time. Locked them away or sent them off to the muggle world usually- so they didn't end up like poor Filch, bitter and not able to really _be_ in the world he was in. Cleaning a castle by hand when magic could do it instantly. Watching over children he hated… it was kinder to send a squib child away, wasn't it? Could he do that with his child? Didn't most families, particularly muggle families who had a witch do the same thing? Send their child off and rarely see them after that? When the girl 'died' she'd probably just been sent away at last. Or the girl _had_ magic and couldn't control it, and had killed her mother and maybe herself.

The bits of the article mentioning Potter… had more truth, but no more value.

Yes, Potter got individual attention from the Headmaster. He'd come closer to killing Tom than anyone else as a baby, and sure, _that_ time could be written off as a fluke, or something the boy's parents did, but that didn't explain the end of Potter's first year, or second, or any of them. Potter was _different_. In ways that no longer made Draco incredibly jealous, because he had no desire to be that way himself. Potter did all the difficult things, no matter how dangerous or _stupid_. But that didn't make the relationship between Dumbledore and Potter sinister. Though perhaps it had been, Draco wouldn't have known. Potter didn't have parents looking out for his interests. Not that parental guidance went so well for Draco, or Theodore Nott. Draco's mother wanted him to be safe, he reminded himself again. She didn't want him to be a Death Eater. And his father...

" _Dumbledore's death is rumoured to have come at the hands of sixteen-year-old Theodore Nott. The boy has not been seen since that day. If this is true, was the boy destined to be like his father, imprisoned last June for alleged Death Eater activities? Could Albus Dumbledore have done more to lead his young students if he did not have such an obsession with a single one of them in Harry Potter?"_

It played on emotion more than truth. Beginning with that Theo had been seventeen for months. The article made it seem like since he was sixteen, he couldn't be blamed for his own actions. People didn't become responsible adults overnight; it didn't really matter if Nott was sixteen or seventeen at the time.

Yes, Potter did take up more of the headmaster's time than any other student, but did anyone really expect individualized guidance from the Headmaster of Hogwarts, especially Albus Dumbledore? That's what Heads of Houses were for, and other professors, and prefects, and head boy and girl. Any time Dumbledore spent watching Potter, he would have otherwise been doing something else to fight Tom.

The rest of the paper was harder to read anything important from. The most important thing Draco found was a small piece about a quidditch game cancelled because of the weather, that then went into an overview of the teams. Would Potter have noticed what was wrong there? _Weather_ didn't cancel quidditch games, spectators too afraid to leave their houses did. Their world was closing in on itself.

*****Ginny*****

"It seems stupid. Can't they just apparate with him a bunch in public places and not leave an easy trail? Throw in a couple port keys, get him behind some wards… really, it's not hard to figure out where he'll be at the end of it, so what's the point? Getting him behind some good defenses with lots of us around- like at the Burrow where he's going anyway- as quickly as possible seems like the thing to do," Ginny complained. No one would listen to a fifteen-year-old girl though. She hated being the youngest. Did no one else think this was an unnecessarily complicated Mad-Eye Moody plan? Not that Ginny really knew the man well, since he hadn't actually taught them her third year. But the Death Eater obviously did a pretty good impersonation to not get caught. They seemed equally crazy, and Ginny thought it was his plan for sure.

And maybe if she'd been allowed to _participate_ in the plan, she would have been pulled into the excitement of it. It was all very Gryffindor. Ginny hoped she had learned better, probably from Draco. It was full of unnecessary risks to too many people, in a way that Ginny wasn't even sure would make Harry safer. It would keep him out of _Ministry trouble_ , perhaps, but did that matter so much? The Ministry wouldn't snap Harry Potter's wand. They knew Tom was back. Harry was… the image of the side of the light, more so than ever with Dumbledore gone. Dead. They could make his escape the second he turned seventeen if they had to- and was that at midnight or whenever he was born, if anyone could prove that? Why did they have to send Harry to those horrible muggles every year anyway, especially this last year when whatever protections he had there would last so little time?

"It does sound crazy, but it worked two years ago, though the complication factor is stepped up some. The Order really wouldn't want us talking about it around you too though, to be honest," Tonks shrugged. Probably most of the Order's doubts would be about Draco.

Ginny was thinking and talking about Harry on Draco's birthday, her boyfriend, her fiancé even, who had a long history of not getting on with Harry.

The whole family- Andromeda and Ted, Tonks, Draco, even Ginny and Lupin were around the table eating a lovely meal. Tonks and Remus were dating finally. Ginny wondered if Tonks being clawed by Greyback in the last battle had anything to do with it. That Tonks was much more at risk from other people than she was from Remus Lupin. And that Tonks was a competent fighter who could take care of herself.

And she was still thinking about stuff that wasn't about Draco!

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to be talking about Harry on your birthday, Draco. It's so good to see you, and also really to leave the house for a while. Especially when I don't even have my own room- which isn't to say that Fleur isn't great," Ginny said. "Though it will be crowded in a couple days when Hermione's there too.

Draco shrugged, "It's fine," he said. "I like hearing what's going on," he said, looking around the table.

"We agreed to be one of the safe houses," Ted Tonks spoke up. "Just today," he added. "And we don't know who's actually coming here," he added, looking at Dora.

"I don't think it's me," she offered. "But I won't know until the day of."

"Probably one of my brothers," Ginny complained. "Almost all of them are doing it, and they wouldn't let me. Even if it is a dumb plan, I don't want to be left out," she admitted. "Presents or pudding?" Ginny asked Draco. To try to be a better fiance than she had been.

Tonks had already done the customary amount of squealing over the ring, after Ginny had put it on after arriving at the house. She still hadn't yet told the rest of her family. But soon, probably. The elder Tonkses appreciated the ring as well. If this house were as big as Grimmauld Place, she and Draco would sneak away for some time alone, but no such luck here.

It was still a nice evening, and Ginny was sad to leave hours later.

*****Draco*****

"We're getting married!" Dora announced, Remus Lupin following behind her. She did have a small, plain ring on her left hand. Lupin looked positively queasy but was smiling broadly. Draco wondered who had asked whom. Not that it had to be a bad thing.

"Congratulations, sweetheart," Ted said first, hugging his daughter, and then her fiance.

"Not a union I would have expected when I first met Sirius's quiet friend," Andromeda said. "But I did always like you, thought you were a good influence on him," she whispered, now hugging Dora. Draco wondered if the tears in her eyes were for her daughter getting married, or her lost cousin.

"Congratulations," Draco said.

Dora smiled at him widely, and then hugged him next.

"I'm just going to run grab Ginny and then we'll go!" she announced.

"Nymphadora!" her mother scolded. "You can't! Not _now_. You don't even have robes!"

"Don't care," Dora answered. "I'll give you… sixty seconds after I get back for any transfigurations you want to make, but we are going to a tiny muggle chapel practically in a forest. It's perfect."

Muggle ceremony. But then, Draco wasn't sure of all of the wizarding legalities surrounding werewolves. He hadn't cared to research before. Dora was making her life harder by choosing the man she had. But you couldn't control love, he supposed. And he wouldn't complain over a reason to see Ginny.

Dora disappeared through the floo, and Andromeda ran towards Dora's room. "Making her robes," she said in explanation. Because Andromeda Black Tonks would see her daughter looking properly. And proper wedding garb wouldn't look entirely out of place on a muggle woman, Draco thought. Probably. Not that he knew what muggle women were married in, but the women wore dresses that were not so different than robes, didn't they? Men didn't. There was a first year Hufflepuff boy who wore a muggle dress one Saturday and was teased for it. Draco didn't see substantial difference.

"Brandy?" Ted offered, bringing out three glasses.

Draco had had the drink several times with Ted in the evenings since his birthday, and it was a pleasant experience. Gentler than the burn of firewhisky, less mood-altering, but still strong. Draco murmured his thanks.

"Thank you, Ted," Lupin said. _Remus_ , Draco supposed, if he was marrying Dora. The man looked as old as Ted, or older. Being a werewolf wasn't good for health. But Draco did know the man to be kind. He hadn't shown any house prejudices in class, which could not be said for all of their teachers. Severus didn't have a choice, Draco thought, giving the man an excuse in his head, even though it was impossible to know what to think of him.

"So she wanted to get married before I did," Draco joked. It was a little tasteless, but the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff wouldn't think anything of it.

"She did, I think. She thinks of you as a younger brother, you know," Remus said to him. Man old enough to be his father. The same age as Severus. Severus who doubtless had to spend more hours with that madman after leaving the castle with the other Death Eaters. With Theo. No, he couldn't think of Theo, the man had made his own decisions. But hadn't Severus done terrible things before turning. Unless he had never turned, but he couldn't think that either. Severus Snape had always been good to Draco.

"I know, and I appreciate it," Draco said. He wished that Dora had been around more that summer. It was good of her to go get Ginny, since Ginny was part of their little family now too, since Draco was. And now Remus was. After they had been dating for a month. War did crazy things to people. But Dora was past decided at this point, and Remus was a good man. Once he was committed, he was honorable. He would be a good husband. A good father if it came to that. "You'll treat her well," Draco said, raising her glass and drinking. It could be interpreted as a compliment or a threat, which made it best.

"She certainly wouldn't allow me to act otherwise," the man grinned sheepishly. Were werewolves pack minded in their human state, or was that just myth? Draco needed to find resources on the subject. The man had had a close group of friends in high school that resembled a pack in some ways, and from what Ginny knew second or third hand, Potter and Black had been the leaders. And Lupin- Remus- didn't appear to be an alpha male. Draco really didn't know much about regular wolves either.

Ginny came through the floo first and hugged Draco tightly.

"Missed you," she murmured in his ear.

"Missed you too," Draco answered.

Dora came after, stumbling over her own feet.

"Where's the robe you've totally cheated on your allotted time to make, Mum?" Dora asked.

"They could be so much better, but you'll look presentable," Andromeda sniffed.

"Love you, Mum. They're perfect," Dora praised. "Magic them on?" she asked.

" _Magic them on._ Like you're a little girl again," Andromeda mumbled, but complied.

Dora was stunning. Pink hair, but long for the moment. Dora did that when she wanted to look especially feminine. Draco preferred the short spikes, but it was her wedding day, so whatever she wanted.

"Ready?" Dora asked, grabbing her parents' hands. "Take Remus's hands," Dora nodded and Draco and Ginny. Remus's hands were large, warm, and slightly sweaty.

They arrived directly inside the large room, which upon quick examination seemed to be its own building with large windows surrounded by trees. An older man met them. Draco pushed back any thinking that the man reminded him of Dumbledore. Every old, white-haired man wasn't anything like Dumbledore, and the resemblance stopped there anyway. The man wasn't nearly as old, tall, or with as long of hair or beard. But the eyes were like Dumbledore's happiest days. And now, the man was dead.

Draco had been to three stuffy pureblood weddings, one that he was too young to remember, and the others had been dreadfully boring with a lot of talking about their genealogies, how they met, how they would continue the line, and a flash of magic at the end, one dull, one bright, and everyone reacted exactly the same to each.

There weren't many pureblood weddings to go to.

This one wasn't like that.

The 'minister' read from a religious text that Draco doubted anyone present believed in except perhaps the man himself. But Draco could _see_ believing in it. And sometimes it seemed like someone more powerful than Tom or Dumbledore was shaping their lives. Someone who led the lives of five generations of Weasleys and Malfoys until he and Ginny. Sometimes he felt that.

Dora was so overwhelmingly happy, and more beautiful than ever. Draco had heard that every bride was beautiful on her wedding day, but Dora was radiant. And she made Remus Lupin shine as well.

Draco and Uncle Ted stood on Remus's side, Andromeda and Ginny on Dora's, for traditional balance, though Draco wished he had Ginny beside him.

It was over quickly, no magical burst of light, though Draco thought theirs would have been bright.

They sealed the bond with a kiss, passionate rather than perfunctory. Draco's eyes strayed easily over to Ginny, who smiled back at him.

The newly married couple departed with hugs all around.

"Seems like a celebration is in order?" Ted prompted. "Even without the bride and groom."

"Oh, she never would be traditional, but staying for a little… impromptu reception wouldn't have hurt," Aunt Andromeda sniffed.

"As if we invited any of our parents when we eloped," Ted got in.

"Yes, well, we all want more for our children," Andromeda said.

Uncle Ted made a lovely cake, and the man told them many stories of Dora's childhood, then of their own dating and early years of marriage, and Andromeda threw in a few that she knew of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. She was smiling through them, even if tears never looked far away.

Without Dora around to make Ginny go back, she stayed for hours, until Uncle Ted and Aunt Andromeda both started making very unsubtle glances at watches and clocks.

He and Ginny hadn't been doing any more than holding hands, sitting with a few inches of space between them on the couch.

"I'll see you soon. I've never attended two weddings in one summer before," Ginny smiled. "Never been _in_ a wedding before either, and soon that will be two as well."

"And your own next summer?" Aunt Andromeda pressed.

"Yeah," Ginny agreed easily, looking at Draco. Draco wondered what their wedding would be like. Not like the ones he had been to before, he thought. Perhaps a bit like Dora's. Probably very like Bill's, which would be soon enough.

"Love you," Draco said, hugging Ginny. "I'll see you soon."

*****Draco*****

Draco had stayed back when Andromeda and Ted went to the door, and opened it quickly. And in walked Potter himself and Arthur Weasley.

"Fred Weasley," the- Potter who wasn't Potter- introduced himself, hand out to Uncle Ted. "Polyjuice was part of the plan," he explained.

He still looked like Potter, until just when Ted released the younger man's hand. The boy grimaced and spasmed uncomfortably. Face pained. Growing at least half a foot in twenty seconds would be uncomfortable. And it was good that the muggle clothes he wore had been baggy to begin with, because he didn't burst out of anything- except that his navel was unfortunately showing. "We'd use it in pranks if it wasn't so damned awful," he said. "We're working on it." He wasn't quite smiling, but he'd been through an ordeal. Being Potter for an hour, and any additional strain.

Fred and George Weasley were working on modifying an incredibly complex potion with confidence. Of course they were.

The red haired twin shook Andromeda's hand next, and nodded at Draco.

Arthur Weasley stood, checking his son over before smiling at the Tonkses. And maybe Draco too.

"Ted. Andromeda. Draco," Arthur Weasley greeted, looking exhausted and old. "Probably need to grab our portkey about now," he said.

"About five minutes. Might as well get ready," Uncle Ted said, leading the party into another room.

"Is- everyone okay?" Draco found himself asking. Dora was one of those fools. And Ginny would be hurt if anything happened to any of her family, and that included Potter- and Granger was probably among them too.

"Mundungus apparated away," Fred Weasley scowled. "Left Moody vulnerable. He didn't make it," the young man said, eyes shut tightly.

The Weasleys held a small, silver-backed hair brush. Draco hadn't seen it in the house before. Not valuable, maybe a thing from Dora's childhood that she'd never cared for. Maybe something given to them by an Order member a week ago.

"Nymphadora will be… I'm glad she has Remus, but I hope she comes home," Aunt Andromeda whispered. Draco had heard that the old man had taught aurors. Draco hadn't really known the man, just an imposter whom he had hated. "Check in on her, Arthur?" Andromeda whispered. "I hope she comes home," Andromeda repeated. Dora hadn't been there much that summer, even less so after getting married.

"I will. She's with Ron right now. Hopefully they and Remus and George are all together and we'll see them all."

"And Ginny's there waiting. Anything you want to say to Ginny?" Fred Weasley offered.

Draco's first thought was to scowl and brush off the nosy request. But something about a death of someone- he didn't even know- but other people cared about a lot- made him want to not miss the opportunity.

"Tell her I wish we were together," Draco said, not making eye contact, but catching an uncomfortable look from Ginny's father.

"Yeah, okay, for Ginny," Fred agreed. "Just to stay in the running for second favourite brother."

"Give our love to Dora," Ted said, and they were gone. Identical uncomfortable expressions as they vanished. Draco hadn't taken a portkey before, always side-along apparition.

Draco looked over and saw Ted and Andromeda holding each other, and felt out of place, until Uncle Ted held out his arm. Draco stiffly joined the hug.

"I didn't know the man," he murmured. "Only saw him once, for real, at the Leaving Feast. I hated the man who impersonated him for a year though," Draco confessed. Ted rubbed his back, like it was a perfectly normal thing when Draco was a grown man. "I was- well, I was in a fight and wasn't really fighting fair, so I- can't really play victim, but he transfigured me- into a ferret, and I have never felt so scared- even when- I should have been. But I was so small and helpless, and he- bounced me up and down, and the other students never let me forget it. And I can't stop thinking about it now, even though it wasn't him," Draco stammered. He was turning into a Hufflepuff. It was Ted's fault. Uncle Ted and his strong, comforting hugs. Like maybe how- like what Dora and Ginny grew up with.

"You can feel and think anything you want to," Ted said. Andromeda was a comforting presence at his side too, arm coming to wrap around him.

"I was going to jinx Harry Potter behind his back," Draco admitted. He couldn't even recall what the fight was over now. They'd had so many.

"And would you do that again now?" Ted asked. "If he didn't deserve it?" the man added. He was always on Draco's side, but not in a… not in an enabling way.

"No," Draco said, hoping it was true. It probably was. Definitely was. Hell, they'd spent most of a train ride in the same compartment without drawing wands, without even raised voices. And a defence practice in the same room without serious bodily harm. And plenty of classes together with no more than glares, sometimes not even that.

Draco was half-asleep when Dora appeared in his doorway. He hadn't closed his door that night so that maybe he'd hear if she came in.

"Hey," she whispered as Draco sat up.

Draco turned on the lamp by his bed. Muggle lamp.

Dora slid down the wall by the mostly closed door. She looked a bit wrecked. Brown hair, but that wasn't surprising.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Yeah," Dora said horsley.

"I'm glad you're home- your home, I mean," Draco said.

"Oh, stop it, it's your home too," Dora brushed off. "Okay that I brought Remus?" Dora checked.

"As long as he's good to you," Draco said.

"I think it was the scratch I got from Greyback that really made him give in- not the greatest foundation, I know," Dora confessed.

"A- bit strange, yeah," Draco agreed cautiously.

"He just spends so much time thinking about how _he's_ a danger to other people, in his particular were-wolfy way, and then seeing that I wasn't safe from that anyway. Not that there's anything wrong with me. Maybe slightly more sensitive sense of smell and taste, but I'm only considering that positive. Just wish it had been Remus's scratch instead of his, but Remus would have never gone for that- and you don't want to hear about that, sorry," Dora said.

Yeah, he really didn't want to hear about that.

"You can say whatever you want," Draco said instead.

"They had- essentially the less experienced half of the volunteers Polyjuice to look like Harry- yeah?" Dora said after a moment.

Draco nodded. It fit with what he'd seen from the Weasleys at least.

"I was surprised when Mad-Eye told me beforehand not to volunteer for that, to have the younger lot do it. And Mundungus, who the old fool had bullied into it," she said. Draco had already heard how that went. "I still- think of myself as part of the younger lot- I thought I'd go with Remus, and _I'd_ be the Harry- which should be silly, because _I'm_ a fully trained auror but- it's hard not to think that it's just because I'm a metamorphmagus."

"I hear you did well when the Death Eaters were at Hogwarts," Draco said. Because he was searching for something to say that was entirely honest and evidence-based. Because he knew her as a cousin, not as an auror. "Maybe you got in because of your abilities, but they wouldn't have kept you if you weren't good," he said.

"Moody thought I was good," Dora whispered. "But Mad-Eye also made an error in judgment that got himself killed."

"One mistake doesn't mean he made many others," Draco said. Though the man had also been locked in his own trunk for about nine months.

"You'll look after them?" Dora asked.

"Who?" Draco asked back, not following.

"All of them. Mum, Dad, Ginny, even Remus? Of course, Remus will probably be in as many dangerous situations as I will. But you'll stay safe," Dora said with strange confidence.

"Last time there was fighting, no one wanted to kill me," Draco started. "But next time, maybe everyone will want to," he said. Almost everyone anyway. "I'll stay out of as much as I can, but you should too," he said.

"But you know I won't. You'll look after them?" Dora asked again.

"I'll try," Draco promised.

"I know," Dora said. "And if you can't do anything about it, it's not your fault," she said. "We all make our own choices. Like it's not my fault that Mad-Eye died. Like it's- not even my fault that Sirius… died. And I'm- going to have bubblegum pink hair tomorrow, just you wait and see," Dora promised.

"I'm not sure what I can do to help anyone," Draco said.

"You're a good listener," Dora said, staggering to her feet. "That can be enough. Goodnight."

 **A/N: Encourage me to keep writing? I'm out of stuff prewritten, and I'd intended to have this story written by now. I'm never left a Work-In-Progress not finished, and I don't intend to, but this one is being difficult.**


	23. Another Birthday

Chapter 23- Another Birthday and Another Wedding

*****Ginny*****

It was all a stupid, stupid plan, and Ginny hoped that she would think the same if she were risking her life instead of sitting and standing and pacing and waiting. It was a stupid, dangerous plan. Wouldn't they suspect that Harry would end up here for the wedding anyway? The marriage wasn't secret, plenty of people would be there. Or maybe they thought the light side wouldn't be so stupid to do something so obvious as keep Harry Potter at his best friend's house.

Almost all of her family was out there right now. Just her and Mum at home, making food. She was _not_ some woman to wait on the men to do the work! That wasn't a fair assessment of her mother either, who was as fierce as anyone, and also several women _were_ on the mission, just neither of them. It was just… why was _anyone_ out flying around, and why was she making _pies_?

What if someone _died_?

What if it was someone in her family? Or Harry or Hermione or Dora or Remus- because they were all her family, regardless of last name. And Fleur wasn't quite her sister yet but they'd- they'd bonded. Ginny remembered thinking unkind things about the older girl during Ginny's third year, and that had just been so petty.

When they had too much food, Ginny and her mother just stood outside, waiting.

Harry and Hagrid were back first. Harry was in Hagrid's arms.

"He's alright. Just had a rough landing," Hagrid said.

Harry made a groaning sound.

"There's a good lad," Hagrid coaxed. "Muriel fixed him up, and said he'd be just fine."

"Oh, let's get him inside," Mum ushered. Ginny stayed outside. Nothing she could do there. Mum had plenty of practice with healing charms with the boys and girl she raised.

Harry would be okay. It was then that she thought about Hedwig, and almost ran inside to ask. But what was the point? Ginny felt sick. If Harry was going to send Hedwig ahead, he would have done that days ago. Hedwig kept him company at the Dursley's house. She didn't make it through the trip, and asking wouldn't help anyone.

Tonks and Ron missed their arrival time, and the portkey came back empty. Ginny felt even worse. Where had they gone? Ginny didn't know where all the safe houses were. There was the Tonkses and Aunt Muriel… Ginny didn't know the others.

Dad and Fred next. Ginny almost cried when they landed, unharmed. Fred swept her in a hug.

"Your _boyfriend_ says he wished he could see you," Fred told her. "Or wished the two of you were together, I guess he said. You're welcome for passing the message along."

"Ron and Tonks missed their portkey," Ginny said instead of thanks. She was too worried.

He father and brother looked at each other, and her father nodded.

"Did Harry and Hagrid arrive?" her father asked.

"Yeah," Ginny replied. "They're inside. Harry was hurt, but he's okay. Did Harry have Hedwig with him when he left?"

"Yes," Fred answered.

"I don't think she made it," Ginny explained.

Their father walked towards the house, and Fred was still hugging her.

"I- don't think I saw Ron since the beginning, but was hard to see anything. I think they got out fast. Tonks said no one would think she was worth going after, she hoped. And she had a bland face on. But… Mad-Eye died. I hope she didn't see because she was- his student in the aurors?" Fred checked.

"Yeah," Ginny answered, throat tight. Mad-Eye and Mundungus was the only pairing who didn't have at least one person in it who Ginny knew well, who Ginny loved, even. But that didn't mean they weren't important to other people.

Fred and Ginny broke apart with the next arrivals.

"George!" his twin shouted as two men fell to the ground, George and Remus.

"There's blood," Fred said, inspecting George's leg. Ginny could see bandages through a slit in the bloody jeans.

"Nasty cutting hex. Remus got the worse of it."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Remus grumbled. "Had much worse, barely got me," Remus was saying. He seemed a little out of it. "Was a traitor- someone. George- Fred, ask him question. Tonks?" he asked, looking around aimlessly until eyes locked on Ginny.

"She and Ron missed their portkey," Ginny mumbled. She felt like she'd said it too many times already.

"Early groups didn't have enough time. We almost missed ours trying to get fixed up. I'm sure they're fine," George said firmly, a hand on Remus's shoulder and another on Fred's.

"Harry?" Remus asked next.

"He's fine," Fred said, " He's inside, where you're both going now.

"Traitor- someone," Remus insisted.

"He lost a lot of blood," George supplied. "And had pain potions without blood replenishers because they didn't have any."

Fred helped Remus and George inside, leaving Ginny alone again. Had she been alone? Fred hadn't told them about Mad-Eye. And Ginny hadn't heard anything about Mundungus.

Ginny!" Hermione greeting from the ground a moment later. Kingsley had his wand trained on Ginny. Ginny didn't even react. It had been a stupid, long night that wasn't over.

"Ron and Tonks aren't back, and Mad-Eye's dead," Ginny spouted out.

"Shit," Kingsley said, sounding strange in his lovely, deep voice. "Miss Granger, ask her a question."

"Ah… what did you tell me when I told you about going with Krum to the Yule Ball?" Hermione asked.

"I said that Ron was going to go crazy, but that's okay because he's an idiot. But he's not so much an idiot anymore, right?" Ginny said.

"No, he's not so much anymore," Hermione repeated, hugging tightly.

"Remus, George, and Harry were hurt, but they're okay," Ginny added.

Kingsley went inside, probably to interrogate the others, but Hermione waited with Ginny, but she was looking at the house.

"Harry's okay?" she said a minute later.

"Just a fall," Ginny said. "He was awake. He's had much worse just from quidditch," she said, feeling it was true. Because someone would have said if he wasn't okay.

Bill and Fleur missed their portkey. Neither Hermione nor Ginny commented on the brass bell appearing with no one attached. That worried Ginny even more than Ron's. Maybe Ron didn't have time, but surely Bill and Fleur should have?

Ginny didn't know how many minutes later it was when Bill and Fleus appeared, riding a thestral. Ginny still wasn't used to seeing the things- knowing that she'd been around them for years without knowing they existed was strange. Fleur slid down elegantly. Ginny wondered if either of them could see it. She didn't know that about her own brother. But she thought he probably could.

"We got chased in the wrong direction, and by the time we lost them, it was easier just to come here," Bill explained. "Is everyone else?" he asked.

Hermione spoke for Ginny this time. "We're still waiting on Ron and Tonks. They- probably got diverted like you did," she said, voice calm. Bill nodded stiffly, hugging Fleur. Tonks was Bill's friend too. "We've heard that Professor… that Mr. Moody died," Hermione finished.

"Let's go see the others, and then I might have to go," Bill murmured to Fleur.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Because if we don't get the body, they will," he said.

That seemed stupid. Her brother wasn't going to go get killed over someone who was already dead.

"Death Eaters are using inferi," he told her, because of course he knew what she was thinking. "Corpses reanimated. Don't want them doing that to him. Or having that eye," he said.

"You don't have to go," Ginny told him, firmly.

"I need to check in with the others," Bill said instead.

"I 'ope Ronald ees okay," Fleur told both of the girls, looking at each in turn "And Tonks," she added to Ginny, before turning and hurrying after Bill.

Ginny brooded over stupid plans until Tonks and Ron appeared.

"It's them!" Hermione screamed. They certainly would have been in trouble if the wards had let in anyone else.

Ginny ran forward and hugged them both together. Hermione joined her on Ron's side.

"What took you so long?" Ginny complained.

"Belatrix," Tonks- Dora- hissed. "I don't know if I'm going to tell Mum. I don't know if she'd be a danger to Mum, or just the rest of us not worthy to be in her family. And I don't know about Draco, though I'll warn him. I'm only sorry she's not dead now," she said. "Ron did great though. Stunned Rodolphus straight to the head, and something else nasty as well. I'm frankly surprised Bellatrix cared enough to stop her husband from falling to his death, but it did help us get away. We should all be quite proud of Ron. Did a junior auror's job tonight."

"You did?" Hermione said, her voice a little in awe- which was unusual.

"Always the tone of surprise," Ron grumbled, but he held on tighter to Ginny, and presumably Hermione as well.

"That's adorable. Ginny, where's Remus?" Tonks asked.

"And Harry?" Ron added.

"Both fine," Ginny managed, because Tonks had asked her. "A little… banged up, but okay. They're inside," Ginny said.

"Okay?" Tonks asked, a little more nervous.

"Yes, walking, talking, okay. Remus got a nasty cut, but he's fine. Harry- I think the motorcycle crash landed, but Hagrid said he's fine..

"I haven't seen him yet. We should check in, don't you think?" Hermione asked, looking between Tonks and Ginny. "And we need to all see Kingsley, right?" Hermione said. "He's very insistent on checking everyone's identity."

"Oh yeah, he gets that from Mad-Eye. I have an instant out- can't fake being a metamorphmagus. Is… everyone else okay? Are we the last ones back?" Tonks asked. Dora. Hermione probably mentioned Kingsley thinking he should be the one to break the news to Tonks. "Ginny, tell me right now," Dora said a second later.

"Mad-Eye died," Ginny said softly. Saying it any more slowly wasn't going to help.

" _Shit_ ," she hissed.

Ginny hugged her tightly, because what else was there to do.

"Oh, shit," Dora said again. " _Shit_. Crazy old man wanted to go out just like that. When they finally pushed him out of the aurors, he said he didn't want to go out peacefully in his sleep or drowning in his own drool."

"We're so sorry, Tonks," Hermione whispered, a little teary. Ginny hadn't figured out yet if that was a good thing to say or bad.

"It's a good way to go. And it... worked. Let's… go see Remus and Harry, and the others," Tonks said. She still had the face she arrived in, plain blonde, not really anything like herself. She knew Tonks sank into her 'normal' self sometimes when she was emotional, and Ginny wondered if that was coming, and if she could do anything more to help.

*****Ginny*****

Everyone knew that Mum was trying to keep the three of them spread apart from the moment Harry joined Hermione and Ron at the Burrow- as if to stop them from talking to each other so they couldn't leave to go off on whatever half-planned dangerous excursion they were going to do anyway. And they probably could use all the preparation time they could get.

"So you've been like… wanting to learn like domestic stuff- because you want to marry Malfoy?" Ron asked over a large pile of mixed family members' clothes that Ginny had had them bring up to her room 'to get out of the way'. "You know you could have a house elf?"

"Ignoring the intense instability of Draco's family status and uncertainty of his and our financial future… also, if we didn't have a house elf, I _wouldn't_ be doing all of the household chores alone, and Draco knows that. Ted cooks more often than Andromeda," Ginny mentioned.

"I mean, I didn't _think_ you'd be the type to want to like… cook and clean everything, but you're sure bonding with Mum over it a lot lately, aren't you?"

"I'm giving you as much privacy to get away to talk with Hermione and Harry as I can. And I'm not _expecting_ an invitation, but I can do stuff, you know. I'm _really_ not interested in napkin folding."

"That's- thanks, Gin."

"I know it. Now, go join them- they're outside." Ron glanced at the door skeptically. Their mother would see him.

"There's been really strong cushioning charms outside my bedroom window since I was six," Ginny said. "Go for it."

"Huh?" Ron asked.

"Dad will probably be in the shed for hours, and Mum's probably in the kitchen."

"You want me to jump out the _window_ to avoid our mother?" Ron asked.

"It's a valid option. I snuck out pretty regularly to fly back then. Sometimes I didn't use the stairs down- I made a ladder, but it wasn't very good. I don't know if it was Bill or Dad who found out first, but the charms are always there. And you've got a wand of your own, so use it," Ginny said, shrugging, and turning back to their laundry task. She'd try out the domestic charms she'd made her mother teach her, and she wouldn't notice that the job was done in the time it would take the two teenagers to do it without magic. Because Ron wasn't any good at those charms, so he didn't bother, except scourgify- which he also wasn't that great at. Really, having Ginny clean anything without magic was just cruel.

"You're a really interesting person, Ginny," Ron said by the window, looking down.

"Thanks. Now get out of my room. I have it to myself little enough these days."

"You and Fleur seem to be getting on well," Ron said.

"We are. Get out. Love you," she added.

"Love you too."

*****Draco*****

Family dinners at the Tonks house happened naturally, usually. Everyone was eating more or less the same things at the same time, so they naturally ate together. Usually at the table, but sometimes around the telly if they put on a film or game. Draco Malfoy watched _football_ on the _telly_. And cricket. Ted liked to keep up with how the leagues were doing. He would call his muggle brother on the telephone about it sometimes. The tele _vision_ and the tele _phone_ weren't related as far as Draco could tell, but he hadn't wanted to ask. He had learned how to work the telly, and he was sure he could have managed the telephone if he had anyone to call.

Football was like quidditch without most of the things that made quidditch interesting, including the frequency of scoring. But it wasn't too bad, and he could, perhaps, acknowledge that a time limit was a more realistic ending to a game, and that… perhaps the snitch was too important to be worth so many points and end the game. Cricket, it was noted that the British invented, and spread to their sphere of political influence, but never won a World Cup, which seemed a severe sore point. They'd been runners up two and three times ago, but not even gotten that far at the last one. Also, Muggles had _two_ countries of Ireland, and one of them was part of the 'United Kingdom' and the other wasn't. Football had World Cups too. He wondered if wizards or muggles had started the term.

Cricket lasted for hours, and then they would pick back up the next day and keep playing. Which seemed more practical for the players in some ways than quidditch, playing without stopping, but you could never have an actually _short_ game. Cricket was more of a thing to have on in the background, in Draco's opinion. Football might have had it right with ninety minutes or so. And the goals being rare _did_ make them more exciting when they happened. He might have shouted at the telly along with Ted. But Ted wouldn't tell anyone, except probably Andromeda, who had been working late particular that evening. And it might have happened after that on a few other occasions when Andromeda was around. She didn't seem particularly interested in the football, but she had some players whom she liked, and would ask how they were doing.

On evenings when Dora was around last summer, it wasn't much different if she was there or not. She fit in the family, and Draco didn't fit any better or worse when she was there.

When Remus was there, it felt organized and intentional, best foot forward, and always at the table. Ted explained that they could tape a game on a V-C-R and watch it later. It was the same with Ginny, but on those times it actually _was_ a truly planned occasion, mostly one of their birthdays. It made him realize more than anything else that he was just part of the family. That he wasn't special there because it was his home. He hoped it would be informal with Ginny if she were around more often, if it was just an average day.

They had wine with dinner when Remus was there, when they didn't usually. There was always alcohol around the house, but it wasn't often consumed. Ted would have a beer or _ale_ or two or three while watching a match. From the name beer, Draco had been expecting something like butterbeer, which made him dislike what he had instead at first sip. It was _cold_. And didn't taste nearly as nice. In the Malfoy home, there had been wine, harder spirits that only his father had, usually with guests in a room alone, and butterbeer as a rare treat for Draco.

Draco was thinking about how he'd see Ginny in two days at her brother's wedding. Draco Malfoy would be seen publicly with the Weasley family. Just attending the wedding might change everything for him come September, but he would go anyway. There wouldn't be any of the crowd that his parents ran with, no Death Eaters, or society that was intentionally Death Eater-adjacent, but there would doubtless be people who Mr. Weasley associated with at the Ministry who associated with… it really didn't bear thinking on when he couldn't change it.

The Tonks family was having a lovely dinner which should have felt casual but didn't. And all of them would be at the wedding tomorrow as well, but Draco wouldn't arrive with any of them or appear to know them at all, probably. Part of the tension was probably that they hadn't seen Dora since the night that the Weasleys were at the house and told them that her mentor had died. Dora had written, but she hadn't come to the house. She didn't come over every week. It wouldn't have been strange not to see her under other circumstances.

But when your crazy aunt tries to kill you- again- and your mentor dies… seems like a good time to visit home. At least she'd written. Warned them to stay safe. But now she was here, and still not talking about any of that. But she had pink hair, which Draco hoped meant she was doing alright, though he didn't understand much of it.

When Dora went for the water in front of her instead of the wine as soon as she sat down, Draco _knew_. It was objectively nothing to go on, and he wasn't even sure where he'd heard that pregnant women weren't supposed to drink alcohol- or at least that muggles had decided that pregnant women shouldn't drink much alcohol. Probably from Andromeda or Ted. Dora had looked surprisingly happy that day, Draco thought.

"What?" Dora asked. "Something on my face?"

"No- nothing- just a thought. Probably wrong. Don't worry about it," he said, eyes slipping to her other glass, the full class of wine that her father had poured.

"No, you figured it out!" Dora declared, smiling. "Remus hasn't even, and I thought he might… smell it or something."

"What?" Lupin asked, confused. Oh, wasn't this a bad idea to tell her husband something like what Draco was pretty sure was coming with an audience?

"I'm pregnant!" she squealed. "We're having a baby!"

"That's… that's highly unlikely, isn't it? We… isn't that _highly_ unlikely?" Remus asked, eyes wide. Oh, this wasn't good.

"Mum, could you double check me?" Dora asked, eyes wet.

Andromeda murmured a spell that Draco tried to follow, and a soft light settled around Dora's abdomen before dissipating.

"Oh, my baby!" Andromeda whispered.

"We're so excited for you, Dora," Ted said. "Let's get this drink away from you and over to Remus. I'm sure he needs it right now, and that's quite alright," Ted said, a hand on Remus's shoulder, putting the wine glass into both of the other man's hands.

"Oh, Remus, I know we weren't planning on this, especially this fast, but I'm just so excited!" Dora said.

"Well, I think we've all eaten enough. I made a cake! Let's grab it, why don't we, Remus? And I have a lovely scotch in the kitchen."

"Are you okay, Remus?" Dora asked.

"Yes," Lupin said, and kept moving.

"He's just had a bit of a shock, dear," Ted said. "I've seen plenty of men faint."

Draco wished them the best, but he wasn't sure which of them he was more worried about.

Pudding consisted almost entirely of Andromeda talking to Dora. Draco wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure what. Dora and Remus left quickly after.

*****Draco*****

He'd almost felt kinship with Potter when they were among the few not allowed to take the Apparition exam with the other sixth years. And Draco wouldn't be going anywhere as visible as the Ministry to take it now, any more than Potter would in a few days.

Every person in their world knew Harry Potter's birthday, almost as well as they knew that Halloween night, when Potter was exactly fifteen months old. There was a group who did the stupid math and wondered if the savior child was _conceived_ on Halloween, and what that meant. If Draco bought any of it, he would have taken divination.

Dora and Remus would celebrate with Potter, probably. He didn't think they would infringe on Potter's day with news of the baby. Maybe it was too soon to tell anyone about the baby still at all. Miscarriages happened. His parents never talked about it, but Draco never thought he was intended to be an only child. He hoped that… if he and Ginny ever wanted children… that there was some truth in good Weasley genes for… successful childbearing. There were a lot of only children at Hogwarts, and Draco didn't think that many of the pureblood ones were by choice. Large families were expensive and not done, but surely some wanted two or three? Having two healthy daughters was one of the reasons his parents ever considered the Greengrass family. All things far in the future. He hoped in a world where he wouldn't be afraid to walk into his government's building.

He genuinely hoped that Ginny would enjoy Potter's birthday. And Dora.

And he would see them the next day.

*****Ginny*****

Birthdays seemed more significant now, after her whole life changed on one. And Harry didn't have a lot of good birthday memories, she knew. The way he still appreciated every gift, even though he had more than enough money to buy whatever he wanted… It would be one of his best birthdays just because he wasn't at the Dursleys'. And coming of age had to be special. Ginny hoped that Draco's had been special enough.

There was Mad-Eye's death hanging over them all, and Harry was probably still blaming himself for that. Ginny hadn't talked to him much. Hermione would do better. And Ron wasn't so hopeless on that stuff.

And, they were definitely about to go do something dangerous- Ron wasn't intending to go back to Hogwarts, Ginny knew- all of them knew, including their mother by now. Their dad and Fred and George had the ghoul ready to move into Ron's room when the three left, but she still didn't want to acknowledge it. But Harry's birthday and Bill and Fleur's wedding would be two perfect, peaceful days. And then Ginny would probably help with a distraction plan to let them sneak away that night or the next morning.

The Delacours had arrived the day before Harry's birthday, two days before the wedding.

All of the early extra cleaning they had suffered through before their arrival was worth it to see Fleur so happy.

Ginny was outside just in time to see the happy reunion.

"Maman! Papa! Gabrielle!" and they all wrapped into a family hug.

Fleur had insisted that they didn't need any more space if Ginny didn't mind. They had been offered Percy's old room multiple times. Hermione and Ginny were already on the floor, leaving Fleur the small bed, and the older young woman had insisted that she and Gabrielle wouldn't mind sharing. Ginny would be on the floor either way, and Hermione insisted she didn't care. It let Ginny's parents have a room other than the sitting room. Everyone would fit somehow.

Gabrielle was Fleur in miniature. Eleven years old, and evidently not at all shy.

As Mr. Delacour was introducing his family- Ginny liked the short man immediately- little Gabrielle only had eyes for Harry. Ginny couldn't blame the girl. Even if in not actually life threatening conditions in the younger girl's case… Ginny knew what it was like to be saved by The Harry Potter. It made Harry as uncomfortable now as it had when he was twelve, but Ginny smiled. Who knew- little girls grew up, and stranger things had happened. Katie Bell wasn't in the picture anymore, on friendly terms. They hadn't been particularly serious, but that was good for Harry. Too much of his life had been far too serious, and that might always be the case.

Ginny acquiesced to helping her mother make Harry's cake- a nearly perfectly round snitch that had to be levitated while icing, and would surely be flattened at some point anyway, but it was impressive.

Fred had helped her with a gift, but it had been her idea- more of an idea to benefit all three of them, really. Storage containers that would keep food fresh for months at a time. The twins used similar things in their joke shop. There was always enough food around the house that it was easy to put some away. Ginny gave them to Hermione that morning to give to Harry- or really to show to him and then keep in that bag of hers. Ginny didn't want to refer to their upcoming trip with the Delacours around- and the less said to Mum the better.

Harry's dinner was nice. Too much food even for the large number of guests- Tonks, Remus, and Hagrid added to the lot already staying at the Burrow, and Charlie home at last. It still felt more like the day before the first Weasley wedding of their generation than it did like Harry Potter's coming of age, but Ginny thought that Harry wouldn't mind in the least. Remus looked uncomfortable, but Ginny hadn't kept track of the moon, so maybe it was close to his time. Tonks looked carefree which was good to see. Ginny thought they were good for each other. Hagrid was wearing his awful suit- which between it and Fleur made Ginny think of the Beauxbatons Headmistress, and wonder if the woman would be at the wedding. Ginny had managed to stay away from the guest list.

It made sense that Harry couldn't have a normal day. No one else had the Minister of Magic show up to their party, but Ginny was sure it wasn't to give a gift. And he wanted to see Ron and Hermione as well. Everyone knew that the Death Eaters were exerting influence over the Ministry, and the Prophet, but most people thought well of Scrimgeour. Said he was tough. A good leader for this time of peril. Ginny wasn't much more impressed with the man than Fudge.

Ginny would find out what she could from Hermione and Ron later. For now, she would talk louder, smile wider, and be a good second hostess. She couldn't help but think of Narcissa Malfoy for a moment. But Weasleys and Prewetts knew how to do that too.

 **A/N: This is the first chapter that I've written in quite a long time, and it took quite a while, and I'm happy enough with it, I suppose. I had a whole lot pre-written before I started posting, and kept writing bits as I went. But lately, I started stretching out what I had written longer and longer between postings, because I just wasn't writing this story anymore, but now I am! Slowly, but I am. And I hope I can keep at it. Encouragements, please! Also, I hate how this site does spacing. I'd like to add some blank lines as minor scene breaks within one point of view...**

 **I really think Mad-Eye's death wasn't something that would change. And I do think he'd want to go out like that. Hedwig's death seemed pretty likely to stay as was as well, so I left it untouched. Harry's belongings including Hedwig should have been secured to the motorbike, if they were going to go with this ridiculous transportation plan with it's many, many problems. One of which being that Harry shouldn't have been with poor Hagrid who can't properly do magic. No one would have suspected he'd be with Bill Weasley (just for example) any more than with Hagrid. I do definitely think about details even when they are details that appear to follow canon.**


	24. Another Wedding

Chapter 24- Another Wedding

*****Ginny*****

Fleur had been true to her word, Ginny's dress was really lovely. It was light purple with gold accents- which coordinated much better than Ginny would have thought- and plunged much deeper than Gabrielle's did. Ginny had never owned a dress like that. Bill had looked skeptically as his soon-to-be wife when he saw Ginny try it on the day before. Ginny would wait until the last minute the day of the wedding, just to be careful.

Fleur was beautiful, of course, in her fairly simple white dress with black embellishments around the waist.

Fleur had had all of the 'girls' get ready together, in Ginny's room, which made sense as they were already sleeping there, but it did make it more fun, and Fleur's mother bounced in and out of the room, speaking French to her daughters- and to Hermione once the brilliant girl revealed that she could manage the language well enough. Of course she could.

It was quite fun until Aunt Muriel arrived with her tiara for Fleur to wear. She didn't say she was bringing it until the day before, and Ginny knew that Fleur had had to change her plan for her hair to accommodate it, but she still smiled whenever anyone mentioned it.

"Oh dear, is this the Muggle-born? Bad posture and skinny ankles," Aunt Muriel said.

Ginny turned around, entirely composed. Fleur's face looked tight too. Doubtless she'd faced discrimination for being 'part-human' all her life.

"Hermione is top in her year," Ginny said.

"Oh yes, but brains never have really impressed the boys, have they?" the old woman jumped to. What would she know?

"They impress Ron," Ginny said… which really wasn't any of her business. "Sorry-" Ginny murmured to Hermione.

"The tiara is lovely. I'm just going to go find the boys. Thank you, Ginny, Fleur. Merci, Gabrielle."

"In this house, we don't identify people by their blood status," Ginny said after Hermione left. She hoped Gabrielle hadn't understood any of it. And Fleur was family now. She would have said it around Hermione except it would just make the older girl uncomfortable.

"But they married each other, didn't they? Two members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight don't just happen to find each other very often without that being some sort of factor," Aunt Muriel spoke lightly for her. "Obviously the Weasley ancestors were equally concerned with blood purity to tie you to a Malfoy- though someone else seemed to have compelled only males to be born, a different and more foolish prejudice with existing constraints on suitable marriage partners already. How is the young Malfoy heir?" Muriel checked. Ginny even knew the old hag _liked_ her, liked anyone who would argue with her.

"He's doing well. We're happy. He'll be here today if he isn't already, and you _won't_ say anything to him," Ginny outlined.

"I make no promises, child," Muriel said, sweeping out of the room like she wasn't one hundred and whatever.

 _Some people,_ Ginny complained to herself.

Ginny's eyes had drifted to the window often as her family set up as the girls got ready. The Marquee was pretty.

Harry was Polyjuice-ed, which Ginny supposed was better than him dodging people under his invisibility cloak. She wanted him there as much as anyone else did. But surely everyone expected him to be there already, didn't they?

When she saw Draco, arriving alone, Ginny was immediately impressed. She wondered if he bought the deep, dark navy robes for the occasion, or if he already owned them, or was that good with alterations. Andromeda had done wonders for Dora's wedding dress, Ginny knew.

He had a nice smile too, when he finally saw her. Ginny felt… just a bit like it was her own wedding she was walking down the aisle for.

*****Draco*****

No one needed to tell him that the younger red-headed boy next to Ron Weasley was a disguised Harry Potter.

Draco stood at a distance back. He would sit, but since Ginny was in the wedding and he likely would not see her before, he didn't feel the need to mingle at present.

He returned nods sent his way from Ginny's various relatives, including most of her brothers.

The boy with curly red hair was staring at Draco, and then very pointedly _not_ staring at Draco, which was even more telling. And he was always next to the youngest Weasley boy. It was a good choice of disguise- wouldn't have been obvious if Potter were a better actor, or if Draco didn't know the other wizard so well. Whomever he was disguised as- almost certainly with polyjuice potion- was shorter and thicker. He would guess that those were Potter's fourth year dress robes, just changed from green to dark purple. It took more expertise to change the dimensions of the garment, and no one had bothered.

And no other distant young cousins were seating guests, and also Tonks and Remus walked straight for him to be helped to their own seats, as poor excuse to talk to them. Tonks's hair was light blond today, and her eyes- probably blue. She could have been Draco's sister, and she looked radiant. Remus looked ill, but he was putting forward a good face.

Lovegood was the only one who approached Draco for an actual conversation. She looked rather pretty in a tiered, flowing yellow dress. Unusual, but pretty, in her confidence. Draco had seen that her father looked far less good in the colour. He had heard that Xenophilius Lovegood was strange.

"Hello," Luna greeted him.

"Hello. You look lovely," Draco said, to be nice.

"You do as well," she answered. Because of course she wouldn't mind calling him lovely. "I was bitten by a gnome," she said solemnly.

"Do you- need it healed?" he asked. He couldn't direct the girl to Andromeda or Ted, who he wasn't supposed to know. Even talking to Lovegood wasn't ideal for his standing.

"Oh no, I'm waiting to see if I will be affected by Gernumbli magic," she said peacefully.

"Right," Draco said.

"Would you like to sit with us?" Ginny asked.

"Your… father has on a pendant that I don't want to be seen next to," Draco told her. "You might tell him about it- it's Grindelwald's symbol," Draco said. Because he'd done research after… his life was upended. Even though they were different in way of portraying their message, many of the old crowd who initially supported Tom Riddle were Grindelwald's former supporters.

"Oh- no, not at all. It's the Hallows, you know? The line is the Elder Wand, the circle is the Resurrection Stone, and the triangle draped over them is the Cloak of Invisibility," Luna recounted.

Draco had heard the Tale of Three Brothers from the time he was quite small. And… perhaps Grindelwald had taken the story literally.

"Perhaps, but it is still Grindelwald's symbol, and he should be careful who sees him wearing it," Draco said. "Enjoy the ceremony," he said in… dismissal- which seemed rude, but he couldn't be talking to Lovegood for too long- for her sake as much as his.

"I hope I get to come to your wedding," Luna said, "Or your second one," she said.

What?

"I literally have to stay married to Ginny. And I'll want to," Draco said.

"That doesn't mean you can't marry her twice," Luna shrugged, spinning and half-skipping off.

When everyone sat, Draco sat near the back on the groom's side.

The wedding was nice. The couple was obviously very much in love. The officiant was skilled, and transfigured the marquee and chairs into a more elaborate decorations and dancing floor. He was the same one who officiated Professor Dumbledore's funeral.

No thoughts of that day.

Especially when he could finally see Ginny. She was radiant. And her particular shade of red did look nicer than the veelas' blond.

"You are beautiful," he told her. He wished her engagement ring was on her finger.

"And you are quite handsome," Ginny replied, fitting arms around his neck, into a hug.

"They don't want to make a big announcement on Bill and Fleur's day, but Dora's pregnant," Draco said into Ginny's ear. They were reasonably alone and there was noise around.

"Oh wow, that's amazing," Ginny said, looking around.

"Remus looks scared as shit, but she seems very happy."

"I- suppose I can't blame him, but they'll be fine. He's got the fatherly thing down, and she'll be great," she said. Draco thought that being a good teacher to eleven to eighteen year olds didn't count much for fitness for being a father to his own newborn, but he wouldn't say so. Probably no one was ever ready. Maybe their split reaction was better than blind excitement. They were still there together.

He and Ginny danced. Because it was enjoyable, and because if they danced, they didn't have to speak to anyone else or find a place to sit amongst other guests. At least, those were some of Draco's deciding factors.

He didn't have to worry about anyone else asking Ginny to dance, because it was still unclear how closely she could touch a non-related male by the stipulations of the contract. But a dance with an unmarried unrelated man would have been unseamly on any accounts. Or an untrustworthy married man.

They partook in a taste of the champagne that floated amongst guests, but mostly, they danced.

They were nearby when the crowd parted and brokenly fell quieter.

A silver lynx patronus settled in the middle of the floor.

A deep voice came from the vicinity of the spell.

 _The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming._

Shit.

This was Ginny's house, and they needed to go.

"Trust me, and don't let go," Draco told her, holding Ginny tightly around her waist with one arm, his wand in the other.

Nearly everyone who was in support of Dumbledore's old crowd at the Ministry was _here_ attending the wedding. What better time to properly take control?

They'd take down the anti-apparition wards if they were coming.

 _Destination, Determination and Deliberation._

"Hold on tight," he told Ginny, and tried.

Draco heard screams before the blackness.

He settled smoothly into their living room- the Andromeda and Ted's living room.

It… was so quiet... peaceful… Like the world wasn't mad.

Ginny burst into tears, still in his arms.

Draco couldn't do anything but rub her back and hope that his family arrived soon. Hope that this place was safe. Because he knew there were protections around it, Not many people were allowed in through the wards. But any protections could be broken with enough force. And he hoped that everyone at the wedding was safe. That was a lot of people to be concerned over, even though some much more than others.

"I should be there," Ginny said.

"You still have the trace," Draco said. And the government was corrupt enough to do anything, so he wasn't sure if that stopped mattering, or mattered more now than ever.

"They'd never be able to tell." Unless they saw her.

"Everyone was leaving. Your family will too," Draco said.

"That's my _home_ ," Ginny cried.

"I know. I know," was all Draco would say. He wanted to say that it was about the people, not the building. But the people were in danger too, and he'd taken Ginny away. And she'd let him. Not that he'd told her what he was doing. But she'd trusted him.

They could be distracted by Andromeda and Ted's arrival together.

"Oh, thank God," Ted said, gathering Draco and Ginny into his hug. Had Ginny had a real Ted Tonks hug before? Unimportant thoughts. But it felt like home to Draco, especially when Andromeda joined as well.

"Dora?" Draco asked, even though it was a pointless question.

"She and Remus have each other, and they will be fine," Aunt Andromeda answered calmly. She was an auror, and Lupun was an expert in defense in his own right. Andromeda spoke with a forced calm. Draco could speak like that too.

*****Ginny*****

It was Bill's wedding day.

She was wearing the most beautiful dress she had ever worn, and there were Death Eaters at her house. Maybe they'd go in her room.

Draco was rubbing her back, and it should have been… flirty with her dress revealing quite a lot of bare skin on her back that was usually covered in robes. His hands moved over skin and fabric alike, and she was sure that neither of them cared.

It was better when the Tonkses were there, hugging them both.

Draco asked about T-Dora, and they didn't know but seemed to feel okay.

"My family?" Ginny asked.

"I saw Harry and Hermione take your brother Ron and disapparate," Uncle Ted answered. He hadn't even met many of them as far as Ginny knew.

They would be off on their mission already then. No reason not to start now.

"I believe the others were all casting protective spells or apparating away with other people. I saw Bill leave with his wife's younger sister."

"Was Fleur okay?" Ginny asked.

"I'm sure she is," Andromeda said. If she wasn't, Bill would be with her. "I'm going to make tea," she announced, pulling away.

Ted guides them to the couch, where all three of them sit close.

Ted turns on the 'tele'.

Ginny allowed herself to be distracted by the images. It was a wonder. She couldn't blame her father for being fascinated with muggle objects. Some just seemed so cool.

Andromeda squeezed onto the couch too, after she came back with tea.

Ted selected a 'film' to make the tele play.

Ted made sandwiches at some point.

There was a second film on when her father's patronus appeared. The weasel.

 _Everyone's safe. Tonks and Remus too. At home. We don't know where you should stay. We love you._

Everyone was okay.

Andromeda cried. She didn't have to be strong anymore.

Ginny didn't know where she should go.

Ginny realized that she was crying too.

"Here for the night, I think. The couch has been transformed often enough, and 'Dromeda does a good job of it," Uncle Ted said. Ginny nodded.

The fallen Ministry needed to not know of Ron's task with Hermione and Harry. She would do anything to stop that.

*****Draco*****

Ginny left the next morning, and Dora and Remus arrived, looking like they probably hadn't slept.

They went to Tonks's room and didn't come out for hours.

Andromeda went to work and Ted didn't. He knew they'd had an argument about it, even though Draco didn't hear anything. Draco cooked to have something to do. He'd learned to use the muggle equipment well enough.

When Remus Lupin walked for the door when Draco suspects that Dora is still asleep in the later afternoon, it felt wrong.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked, closing the front door behind him.

"You should be inside," Remus said, looking around. The whole lot was just as protected as the house. No one would see them any more certainly.

"So should you," Draco said instead.

"There's more that I can do out there," he said.

Out there without his wife.

Out on his own- or not alone. Draco didn't think anyone really knew what to do, except maybe...

"So you're going to abandon your wife and unborn child to go run off with Potter?" Draco snarled, sure it was true.

"Harry _needs_ me. And Tonks will be better off _without_ me."

" _Harry_ is a grown man who has Granger to look after him. And whatever Weasley's worth. Potter grew up without parents yeah? Because the people who raised him didn't become his parents. Pretty obvious to anyone with eyes," Draco said. Obvious once Draco tried to really see him. Not seeing the boy as another Draco, or an opposite-Draco. They boy had never gone home to his relatives for Christmas, always seemed to spend as much of the summer as he could with the Weasleys, and was so… unused to media attention but craved the attention of his friends. "Do you think _he_ wants a kid to grow up without a dad?"

"I would come back when I could!" the man protested.

"Except Dora's kid wouldn't be like Potter. He'll have Dora, and wonderful grandparents, and he'll have me and Ginny. _Me_. Do you want _me_ to be the closest person your child has to a father figure? Isn't that threat enough to keep you here? Because _I'm_ not going anywhere. I'm going to be in that child's life for as long as I live, and I'm not going to go off and do something stupid to make that end tomorrow," Draco ranted. It was what he felt. "I'll teach him spells before he's eleven, before he's six probably. I'll take her flying before she's old enough to remember, but she'll remember the fun of it." Draco had never realised... how much he wanted that. He hadn't often been around children. "And if she's a werewolf, I'll brew the Wolfsbane myself," he promised. " _That_ future is the best damn opportunity of your life, and you don't want to miss it. Because Dora's only going to take your shit for so long. If you apparate away, make damn sure you're ready to be away. Because you wouldn't have to get yourself killed to get written out of the child's life. I don't know why I'm trying to convince you to stay. Yeah, Dora loves you, but she made the wrong choice, because you're a coward."

"I'm not a coward!" the man roared back. "I'm going to go fight to make the world a better place," he said.

"And if that _were_ your motivation, it would be noble," Draco responded. Reckless, but a thing a 'good person' would do. "But you're just running away. Because you can't face fatherhood- and yeah, _I_ don't know if your genetic child will be a werewolf. Seems like something you should have found out decades ago, but now it's too late. Did you even tell Dora you were leaving?"

"I'm not leaving," Remus Lupin snapped. "I never… envisioned anything about this life… not marriage, and certainly not a child and… Dora wasn't _supposed_ to get pregnant. She _said_ she was taking the potion. She _said_ it didn't matter that I never wanted children," Remus said, looking Draco in the eye now. "But she would hardly even discuss me get a long term solution- she was very against it in case we 'changed our minds'."

"So… something went wrong. The potion was brewed incorrectly and was ineffective. If you're seriously thinking Dora did this on purpose, you need to talk to her about it," Draco said.

"I think Harry would have sent me home too," Remus said quietly. "Maybe I even wanted to be sent back," he said. "Dora's just… so happy, and I'm scared, and angry, and claustrophobic, and feel... I can't just… I don't know what to do. When Lily and James decided to have a baby when there was a war going on, I thought they were _crazy_. And now I… I never thought I'd be a father. I have never been around children under eleven except a few times with baby Harry, and that was so many years ago now- you're grown men now."

"Reasonable thoughts, all of them," Draco said. "Just- _talk_ to her," Draco said.

"You're a good man," Remus whispered.

He was trying to be.

"Just go back inside and talk to your wife."

 **I had actually written the scene with Draco and Remus ages ago, but the rest quite recently.**

 **It does really bother me that in an actual 1997 calendar, Harry's birthday was on a Sunday, so the wedding would be on a Monday, which would be quite unusual, but I just deferred to canon. It's admittedly hard to keep all those details. Also... the Premier League plays from mid-August to mid-May which I somehow never knew before, and is absolutely crazy to miss two of the loveliest months to play and attend games.**


	25. This Isn't Hogwarts

This Isn't Hogwarts

*****Draco*****

Ted and Andromeda talked for a long time after Andromeda came home from work.

Dora and Remus had spent almost all of it in Dora's room, with silencing charms up, but Draco knew that several patronuses had been in and out from different directions, including a lynx.

"The hospital is government funded, and it has been said… that Muggle-borns should not be paid with government funding. So, I don't have a job, and it might get worse. We don't know what it will mean for a Hogwarts without Albus Dumbledore," he said. "It might be the safest place in the country, or it might… amount to a prison or worse," Uncle Ted explained.

"Thank you for telling me," Draco said, like a reasonable, responsible adult-like-person. He was still used to complaining to his father about anything he found objectionable, and the powerful, rich man he idolized fixing it. It hadn't worked as well since going to Hogwarts- hadn't worked at all since fourth year, for too many reasons.

*****Ginny*****

"Severus Snape will be the Headmaster," McGonagall's voice sounded… old.

Ginny walked into the kitchen. They hadn't even put up silencing spells.

"If Tom Riddle's controlling everything, I would say that is the best case scenario," Ginny said.

"Ginny, you don't need to hear this," her mother said, clench a cloth.

"I disagree. I'm going back to the place in a few weeks just as much as Professor McGonagall is. Our family is in a precarious enough situation as it is without me going in more blindly than needed. And I trust Professor Snape," she said. McGonagall _was_ going back to Hogwarts, wasn't she? How many of the Order of the Phoenix member's identities were known? Had McGonagall been a member when Peter Pettigrew had been? Ginny's parents hadn't been. How many of those original members were still alive?

"And what are your grounds for that assessment, Miss Weasley? Severus Snape is a very talented man, deception high among those talents," Professor McGonagall said. She was tired.

"Because he used Legilimency on Draco- a really deep look, and nothing bad happened to Draco afterwards, and no one knows where he is. No one's tried to kill Draco," she said. _Yet_ , her unhelpful thoughts added. No.

"I believe that… Professor Snape has known young Mr. Malfoy closely since he was born. It is possible that he has a familial tie with the boy and still could assist and allow horror to befall the other students." True, and it wasn't like Ginny hadn't considered that. But he didn't really seem that much less trustworthy now than before, so why was everyone doubting him now. He probably hadn't been in communication, but he didn't exactly have the easy excuse of the school year. It would be easier in September. And also Dumbledore wasn't around to constantly remind people that the wisest, strongest man in the world trusted Snape. Dumbledore was dead. At the hands of a Slytherin teenager, one of Snape's students.

"So, what are we going to do about it? Students are still going to arrive at Hogwarts if the train runs on September 1st. Are you going to be there?" Ginny asked her Head of House. She felt like an adult warrior and also a petulant child.

"Of course, I will be there," Minerva McGonagall said.

"I'll be there too. And students of any house will know that they can talk to me," Ginny promised. Slytherins too. At least, Ginny would try to make that true. Even if Slytherins had never acted more warmly than a neutral nod to her, and she hadn't done anything more to them.

Her birthday that year felt less mommentus than any that had come before it, when it didn't have any visible reason to.

Her mother made a cake. There were small presents. The twins came over, and attempted to bring cheer.

Nothing from Draco, but she had known not to expect it. They couldn't risk revealing Draco's location. It was tentative enough as it was, surely? They were blood relatives, even if Draco had supposedly never met them. They'd almost not even gone to the wedding.

*****Draco*****

The house felt empty when Ted left.

Why didn't they leave _with_ him? Draco didn't have any idea how Ted would live without a house, but did Ted himself have any better idea?

Ted and Andromeda thought that Andromeda had an obligation to her patients, for as long as she could work at Saint Mungo's without interference from… her sister, essentially, because surely that was who they needed to be most worried about?

The woman had killed their first cousin and targeted Dora twice now, but hadn't done anything against her sister.

Muggleborns were to surrender their wands, possibly go to Azkaban if they were found 'guilty' of whatever imagined wrongdoing. Would he have been so stupid, so cruel, if his… fate were different? If he hadn't been forcibly betrothed to Ginny… and given the opportunity to fall in love with her.

" _You'll be fine, because they won't be trying to detect you. The charms around your room will hold," Ted said, for the second time, but it felt like the tenth._

" _And if they_ are _looking for me?" Draco asked. He hadn't asked that the first time. Hadn't known if he wanted to show the most obvious flaw with the plan._

" _Then you apparate away, and send me a patronus, and I'll find you," the man said._

 _What if the people coming were better prepared? What if the warning spells didn't work? What if it wasn't a now routine inspection by some minion of Umbridge, but all of Riddle's inner circle? What if Draco's patronus came to Uncle Ted during a dangerous time for the man?_

 _Draco wasn't ready to make those objections, because he didn't have a better idea. He would just be a greater liability going with him. He was highly recognizable as a Malfoy, and didn't have any idea how to fit in in the wilderness or the muggle world- and he believed Ted would go to both. Though Draco didn't know any specifics, just… in case that could be dangerous to Ted. If Draco's aunt found Draco, essentially, and wanted to rid all the blights in her family._

 _He did know how to send a message patronus. He'd perfected it at the house after seeing enough of them. He'd tried to help his aunt and uncle as well. He wasn't much of a teacher. His aunt never managed more than mist, and his uncle sometimes made his- a squirrel- but he couldn't make it talk. Draco Malfoy's voice coming out of a shining unicorn was about the least subtle thing in the planet, but it had been his first priority to learn. And then he'd looked closer at the healing books the Tonkses had. Because some of these idiots that Draco cared about would probably get themselves hurt._

" _Okay," Draco said, only half knowing what he was agreeing to._

" _Look after Andromeda for me?" he asked, hand squeezing Draco's shoulder. "But not before yourself and Ginny," he clarified._

" _I don't know that I can look after anyone," Draco answered. "Dora asked me the same thing for the rest of you, and I can't," he said._

" _Ah, well, we all worry. It's not your responsibility to do anything specific, and I don't want to burden you, son- Draco. I didn't mean- well, I suppose I did, really. Just keep yourself safe when you can, and show the others you care about them staying alive and well, and that's all anyone can do."_

 _Draco initiated the hug that time. He didn't do that often. And then he had to be the one to pull away first, because he knew well that Uncle Ted never would._

Draco made dinner each day now, usually had it almost ready when Andromeda got home. When he'd hope that she had some sort of good news, or at least not bad. A hospital seemed like the most wrong place for Death Eaters to control. Even worse than a school.

Draco knew that Andromeda had stayed for her patients, but for Draco as well, so this would still be his home. They didn't talk about Hogwarts directly, didn't say the name. They'd say 'September' occasionally.

Draco was always going to go back to Hogwarts, if only because he knew that Ginny was going to. And what else could he do?

*****Ginny*****

Enough students didn't return to Hogwarts that it was easy to get a compartment to themselves. Small mercy. She wanted to see everyone else, but if they thought their position was delicate last year, surely it was nothing to this. And when they closed the curtain, no one bothered them the whole trip. It had only really been Draco and his bodyguards making the full round in the past- or full rounds until they found Harry Potter's cabin.

They spent a lot of the trip kissing, when they had caught up on each others lives in quiet tones. And more kissing, because they could, and sometimes it was easier than words.

Ginny's father was still going to work. They needed the money, and he was maybe the chief informer of Ministry activities for the Order- though Ginny didn't get to see much of that. She couldn't see Kingsley still having a prominent place though, and she knew that Tonks wasn't going to work anymore.

She didn't know where Ron, Hermione, and Harry were, or how long they'd be doing whatever they were doing.

*****Ginny*****

The day that Ginny first saw Neville with a black eye and a split lip, she wondered what the hell they were doing there. What any of them were doing here.

This wasn't Hogwarts. She could pretend, in the Gryffindor Common room, that nothing was different, but everything was.

Ginny had never been close to the girls in her year, but they were even quieter than usual, those who had come back. Colin wasn't there, and Dennis. The seventh years were practically non-existent. The younger ones looked up to Neville more than ever, and he took the role very seriously. And some of them, especially the girls, looked up to Ginny too.

It felt wrong to see Seamus all the time without Dean. To see Lavender without Parvati. Lavender was the only seventh year Gryffindor girl who came back. Neville and Seamus were the only ones of the boys. Ginny was pretty sure that Lavender hadn't been sleeping in the empty room, that she slept in the seventh year boy's dorm- and Ginny didn't even think there was anything romantic going on- positive that it wasn't with Neville, and didn't really think at all. Just comfort. Though maybe Seamus and Lavender would work- Ginny didn't know either well.

Charms and Transfiguration were the best. Ginny… would have considered taking even History of Magic just for some normalcy.

The Slytherins in her year weren't like those in Draco's, no Death Eater children among them. Ginny thought they mostly looked tired and scared. Professor Slughorn looked tired and scared. He'd wanted to avoid the war, and now it had come to here.

This wasn't Hogwarts.

Except Neville thought it was.

"This? It's nothing. You know the staircases in Hogwarts." He was bleeding from his _face_ , and obviously hadn't been to the hospital wing, or even to any professor.

"And I'm pretty sure you haven't had any problem with them since your second year."

"Fourth," Neville corrected sheepishly. "I didn't get to be this amazing overnight," he said, smiling. Which would have had some chance of looking smug if his lip wasn't split and the smile clearly pained.

"Neville, this is me. We need to know what's wrong. Other than…" _Everything_. _Other than everything._ "Other than the Dark Arts and mandatory muggle studies course," she said. "I haven't had either yet but…" It wasn't like they could be _good_.

"Yeah, it's as bad as you're thinking. I've had both. I actually need to learn enough about muggles to refute what Carrow says, but I hope everyone knows that normal teachers don't act like them. Merlin, it's like two Umbridges with no inhibitions."

"Did class have to do with your face?" she asked.

"Nah, not this time. Probably wouldn't be so visible from a teacher. And I think they still have hope of convincing me. Sacred Twenty-Eight as I am. Nah, this was Crabbe and Goyle. A first year Ravenclaw was trying to _reason_ with them by asking a question. And the kid was is smarter than both of them combined so… they got flustered, turned to fists, and I availed myself as a more acceptable outlet, I guess," he said.

"What was her question?"

"I believe _his_ question was something to the effect of… if purebloods are better, what about squibs?"

"First year?" Ginny repeated. Could have been a Gryffindor was her first thought- a thought she wasn't especially proud of. She was working past house stereotypes and prejudices. Mostly, she wished she'd been like that in her first year. In a different set of circumstances, maybe.

"Yeah."

"Good boy," Ginny said, nodding.

Neville smiled a more ral smile. "The eleven-year-old or me?" he asked.

"I don't think I have to pick."

*****Draco*****

"I haven't seen you in our room much, Draco," Theo said, three days into term. Nott. Murderer of Albus Dumbledore. He still saw the other wizard often. They still had several classes together… the ones that could still be called classes. He had never been more grateful to go to Transfiguration and Charms than to have a real class away from all of the Slytherin boys besides Blaize. And he still spent time in the Slytherin Common Room, mostly immersed in books hoping no one would talk to him, but he had to put in time being there. Ginny would want him to be available to the younger students. He even _wanted_ that, but wasn't sure at all what that _meant_ , or how he would do it. Malfoys weren't approachable.

"It wouldn't be proper to bring my betrothed into such a room, and our contract is so… accommodating," he said. That was to be his answer if anyone asked. Ginny had approved it, even. Everyone in the castle that wasn't very close to Ginny already thought they were having sex. Probably some of those close to Ginny did too, actually. Even though they weren't. Even though they hadn't even discussed the possibility of _actually_ doing so. Even though it was explicitly allowed in their weird old contract. But, Draco wasn't about to sleep in the seventh year Slytherin dormitory. And who was really going to question a seventeen-year-old taking advantage of the opportunity to have regular sex?

"Are you sure the Weasleys are people you want to associate with right now?" Theodore asks. "I said you had two choices, but surely by now you see that one of them is a really shitty choice," he said.

"I'm associating with Ginny, not the rest of the Weasleys. And the Weasleys _pretend_ to not care of blood purity, but you know that their blood is as free of muggle influence as ours is."

"The father works with muggle artifacts," Theodore pointed out.

"He thinks them a curiosity, like _animals_. And he reacts in kindness to them as a lesser being, a novelty. And what the man thinks is none of my concern or Ginny's. In a year, she will be a Malfoy, not a Weasley, and the only relevant piece of her family will be that her blood is pure, and not closely related to mine to make strong future offspring."

"Another generation to follow our Lord," Nott said.

Draco wanted to vomit. He... wanted kids, not pawns. What were the proper, unselfish motivations for offspring? Was that even possible? His mother… and his father loved him, but they had undeniably wanted an heir for societal reasons.

Draco hadn't responded. He was _good_ at this. He could say pretty words, and turn the subject slightly, anything away from thinking of his future possible children taking the Mark. _They_ were supposed to still be children themselves, dammit. "May we all be so lucky in the future. You have always been my closest ally. We were equals as children, and I respected you as such while I surrounded myself with minions. Now, I admire you, as a step above me, and I hope to learn from your dedication to the cause. I would like you to bring me forward, as you mentioned on the day of your great victory, after I graduate," Draco said.

He would run. He would take Ginny and run. Maybe she knew a way out of the castle. There were rumours that her brothers would sneak out for firewhiskey. They would run. Maybe they could find Uncle Ted. Maybe it would be safe to hide with Aunt Andromeda, like she claimed it was. They would be with someone. They would have each other, and Draco wouldn't have to talk to these people again.

"Good. It's not quite accurate, but I will call you a friend," Theodore Nott said.

"Thank you," Draco responded.

Maybe they could leave that night. But Ginny wouldn't want to. And Draco didn't know where would be safer for them to go.

 **A/N: We've been moving, and I haven't had access to my Harry Potter books (my precious reference materials) for… three weeks… So, I've actually been in the mood to work on this, and it's been very difficult (even though it feels like I should need it less with it being very apart from what the trio was doing, I still want to have it on hand), so this is short. Encouragement please!**


	26. Restless

Chapter 26- Restless

 _"Dumbledore's Army, still recruiting"_

They painted it on the wall, she and Neville did. Ginny had to force herself not to vomit, remembering the other time she had painted on Hogwarts walls, even though she didn't actually remember that at all. It hadn't really been her. But this was. She _was_ Dumbledore's Army. She had even made the name. This was who she was. Her, and Neville, and others- anyone else who wanted to be. She would hold her head high, and not throw up on her shoes.

Hannah was able after some work to manage the same spell Hermione had with the coins. Ginny wished they could reuse the same ones. She had hoped that the three on the mission would see, that the twins would see. But she also knew that they couldn't, because they didn't know what happened to Marietta's, or Cho's, or who else might not be trustworthy. Ginny had never liked Zacharias Smith. But it was always a danger that they would recruit someone new who would prove to be just as bad or worse. And that couldn't stop them. And they couldn't exactly use veritaserum or legilimency against everyone- because they didn't have access to either. Well, no one had promised that being revolutionary would be safe or comfortable.

*****Draco*****

Draco found himself standing in the hospital wing. It was stupid to come there. It was surprisingly empty, for all that Draco knew that… that more people needed it. He had seen Crabbe, Goyle, and Badlock physically injuring other students with no repercussions. Probably others were doing it too when Draco tried not to see. Probably most using jinxes instead of fists, but it amounted to the same. It shouldn't be shocking, considering official policy was in favor of the Cruciatus Curse as punishment. That was far, far worse. He would never adjust to seeing a fourteen year old Ravenclaw positively cowering when Draco walked by... made him feel like he would lose his lunch. He didn't like going to meals in the Great Hall either, but he usually would. He had to make appearances.

The hospital wing should be busy, with the number of black eyes and broken lips he'd seen casually in the hallways, but it was empty. Were students not allowed to come for a healing?

"Mr. Malfoy?" the matron asked him. She looked tired and old. Maybe everyone did. "Are you injured?"

"No," Draco answered. Because he was Theodore Nott's friend, and Ginny's fiance. It was the first that protected him better, for now. Tentatively. With the fewer questions the better. He couldn't really answer ones like 'where were you this summer?'. No one important had asked, at least yet. They were happy in their prolonged victory over the school. But he couldn't know how long that would last. He had still been underage when the summer began. That would protect him somewhat. He could more believably be taken against his will. Maybe. He had some basics of Occlumency down- something he had very occasionally worked with Andromeda on, but he should have done more. It took too much out of both of them though.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Madame Pomfrey spoke again. Hospital Wing. He was in the hospital wing.

"I'm fine," he said. "I don't know why I'm here."

"You're welcome anytime," she said softly.

What was there to say? In a different life he might be spending time there in his last year _not_ being a patient. It interested him more than any other profession had. He had never wanted to work for the Ministry even before this. Perhaps he could have worked out a formal apprenticeship. Maybe stayed at the school doing that for Ginny's last year together. They'd be married and have their own little quarters somewhere. Their first place together.

Draco just nodded at the matron and left.

*****Ginny*****

"There must be something we can do. Something more _real_ ," Ginny said, pacing in front of Neville and Luna. Neville was sitting on a bed, and Luna lying on the floor. They'd taken the abandoned seventh year girls room as their own sometimes. No one cared about houses anymore, or the rule against boys in the girls' side. The slide was easy to work around if you knew it existed. There were always a couple school brooms around in the common room now. People had teased Neville about his first flying lesson enough that Ginny knew what happened, but he'd learned well enough at some point.

"I mean… I'm all ears for any ideas. I don't have any besides training and protecting each other and younger students," Neville said. "We know that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are doing something important set by Dumbledore, but there haven't even been any sightings. We just have to hope that Dumbledore told them everything they needed before he died," Neville said firmly. "McGonagall didn't have any suggestions of anything we could do when I talked to her on Wednesday."

In a different world, would she have been with them? If she hadn't been engaged to Draco? If she had maybe even been dating Harry? Probably not. Harry did his best to push everyone else away during danger. Hermione and Ron had lots of practice ignoring that. And Ron wouldn't want her there either. And she still had the Trace on her, so she could be caught if she did magic outside of a residence of a registered adult wizard. At least allegedly. She didn't know how it truly worked. Also, she didn't actually want to date Harry. Certainly didn't want to marry him. Things were good with Draco. Even when… nothing was right around them. Even when sometimes they didn't know what to say and just clung together or made out in the moments they had alone.

Draco knew that Dumbledore's Army was open again, that they met- and that it started with the rest of their study group from the year before, though more were quickly added. He hadn't wanted to make an appearance. Partially in case there was a traitor amongst them. It could happen. They could be training someone who could turn wand against them. But none but Luna and Neville were usually part of the highest level planning- though Hannah was invited- and as much as they trusted so many of the others. It was good. Ginny just wanted to be doing more. Maybe she didn't even want to be on their quest- but she wanted to do _something_.

And she was genuinely worried that Dumbledore hadn't given Harry everything he needed. He couldn't have known when Nott was going to kill him. He…

"Dumbledore left them things in his will," Ginny mumbled. "Weird things," she added. It had been a busy time, worried about Bill's wedding, and too many other things. If he hadn't had time to tell them everything in the mysterious, Dumbledore-way he had about him... but he'd left clues in his will. Though Hermione was probably better at deciphering the meaning than they would be.

"Yeah?" Neville prodded. Ginny was trying to remember what they were.

"Yeah. I saw Hermione's. She was staying in my room," Ginny said, still thinking. "It was a book. Tales of Beedle the Bard, in runes. I could read some of it. The stories looked normal," she said. "Ron.. I don't know what he got. Harry got two things, the snitch from his first game… I don't know if that was sentimental or more... and… they wouldn't give him the sword of Gryffindor, because it wasn't Dumbledore's to give," Ginny told them.

"Okay," so… the sword is the most obvious… something, but how about we start with the book?" Neville pressed.

"It was in runes, a first edition. I looked at it some. I mean, it seems like the same stories I'm sure you heard as kids. I read the ending of The Warlock's Hairy Heart, because I always hated the end of that one and hoped it was different," she admitted.

"Many of those stories are true- most of them- at least in some ways. But maybe not that one. Some of them in all ways, even ones we don't always understand. I can see if the library has a complete collection. Perhaps decipher what the Headmaster wished Hermione to learn. It's well suited to her, don't you think?" Luna asked, smiling dreamily.

"Because it's a book?" Neville guessed.

"Because a book for children is not where she expects to find wisdom. And it's a piece of her world that she hasn't likely explored," she said. 'Her' world, not 'our' world, to make it clear that Hermione belonged.

Ginny thought that Luna was quieter this year, and her words were wiser. But Ginny rather missed hearing about snarglepuffs or gutter snipes, or whatever.

"Okay… so, what makes a snitch special?" Neville asked next, looking at Ginny. "Do we think it's just that- a reminder of an early victory? I mean… it was over Slytherin, which… Dumbledore might have… taken too seriously?"

"Well, a snitch flies quickly and hides itself while not going too far. But that's over for a regulation snitch after it's been caught. There's not much magic left in it after that. It will react to the hand that caught it, to prove who caught it in a dispute, but that's about it."

"Harry nearly _swallowed_ that snitch. Right after his broom had been hexed, trying to knock him off. The Slytherins were so mad. It was pretty cool."

"Yeah, I heard about that. Quirrell cursed it, then?" Ginny asked. Because, Ginny had heard the story from other students, but not from someone who might really know.

Neville smiled, "Hermione told me the story in third year- after my boggart," he said, which seemed pretty disconnected. "He started thrashing uncontrollably, barely holding on, yeah? Well, brilliant first year Hermione knew that that was a strong piece of magic. And, as respectful of authority as she was, she still looked at the teachers first. Some of the commentary is just mine, of course," he added. "She saw Snape keeping eye contact and moving his mouth, so eleven- I guess twelve actually- year-old Hermione Granger runs over and sets his robes on fire. And, the jinx stopped, and Harry miraculously caught the snitch before we even really knew what had happened. It was crazy."

"But… the broom?" Ginny prompted. There was no way."

"They thought that was the whole story until the end of the year, when Harry and Quirrell squared off, and Quirrell mentioned that he might have been able to kill Harry months ago with his jinx is Snape hadn't been stopping him. Honestly, Snape must have been pretty frantic to be moving his mouth at all. He's usually a silent caster on just about anything I think when it isn't needed for teaching students. If he had planned it, no one would have known it was him. Quirrell was distracted by the robes on fire, so really Hermione stopped him at the same time as Snape- which was a good thing for Harry."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Ginny said. She… wouldn't like the man, but… he hadn't let Harry die, and more recently, he hadn't betrayed Draco either, and that had to mean something.

"I mean, I'm not going to start the Severus Snape fan club here. It was a different world then. He might have thought that You Know Who was dead. He definitely had a safe job at Hogwarts under Dumbledore's watch, and this could have just been a way to further solidify his standing there. I just… can't hate him as much as the Carrows, you know? And this is from me- I know he _hates_ me. My boggart was him for a reason, back then. I don't know what it would be now. Okay, so- not sure about the snitch. It's imprinted on the person who touches it. Maybe he could alter it to do something in response to Harry?" he said.

"Maybe. Hopefully something straight forward for him," she said. I don't think we know anything more about that one though, without seeing it. And since I don't know what Ron got, that just leaves the sword," she said, gathering her thoughts. "Which is maybe the most important since they don't actually have it. I've heard it was in the Headmaster's office when Dumbledore was in it," Ginny said. "Have either of you been in there?" Ginny asked. It wasn't like most students had personal, or even semi-personal meetings with Albus Dumbledore. Ginny had hardly seen the man outside of the Great Hall and occasionally at Headquarters. Except when she was a first year.

"No," Neville said. Luna shook her head. Ginny wanted her to say something fanciful, but she didn't.

"It… could be symbolic, or actually useful. Harry's used it before, when he was twelve. He slew the basilisk that was petrifying people with it. And saved my life," she recounted. They'd know the basics of the story- Ginny Weasley was kidnapped into the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter saved her and removed the threat to the castle- everyone did, but maybe not the particulars. Ginny didn't talk about it. Avoided all conversation of it, but she didn't think she had heard the word basilisk floating around.

"Thank you for telling us, Ginny. Is there… anything more you can tell us that might help?" Luna asked gently. Neville was hovering.

"I was unconscious for most of it, but knew some of it, and Harry told some people right afterwards. There had been… this diary," she said. She wouldn't say the name Malfoy right now. "It had been You-Know-Who's, when he was young. He- put his memory, and maybe more than memory into it. I didn't know. He- made me do things…" she said. She didn't want to say more. "I- think he was getting a body back, and killing me to do it. I _saw_ him leave the book, and then I lost consciousness, but he wasn't there when I woke up. Just Harry was. And the huge, dead basilisk. There was blood everywhere," she remembered. There was the destroyed diary- I think Harry shoved a basilisk fang through it, and the sword, and- the sorting hat of all things. He said Fawkes brought him the sorting hat, and the sword fell out of it, right onto his head. And then Fawkes carried us back up. It's um, underground. The entrance is… in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," she said. "I don't know how to get in," she added.

"Okay, so really glad you're okay, Ginny," Neville said, looking at her with concern. Like he wanted to hug her but wouldn't. Betrothal contract, yes. No one wants to test the boundaries on that physical contact. Neville was a sweetheart. He'd make someone very happy. "So- possibly a symbolic thing again? I mean, what would he need a sword for now that he can really use a wand? He's not twelve anymore."

"Wands can't do everything," Luna intoned sagely. "Perhaps we can learn more about the sword itself in the library."

"Even if we were to steal the sword, I'm not sure how we would get it to Harry. Just getting it out of the Headmaster's office would be difficult enough, if it's even still there. It probably isn't good form for a Slytherin headmaster to display Gryffindor's sword. But, if we could find it and if we could get it out, there would still be getting it to Harry," she sighed.

"Still more ideas than we had an hour ago," Neville pointed out.

"Yeah," Ginny said.

*****Draco*****

He _missed_ the others. Longbottom, Lovegood, the Creevey boys, the Hufflepuff girls. Okay, he could use their names in his head- Colin and Dennis Creevey, and Bones and Abbott.

Ginny, he had socially understandable reasons to associate with. The others? None of them were acceptable. Abbott perhaps slightly more so, but not much. Her family was old, and she was nearly pure enough to be called a pureblood if she wished without anyone protesting in some circles. Not pure by other standards, but her future children would be by most. One muggle grandparent. Whose name Draco knew as 'PopPop' and who liked watching football. He listened, even when he didn't comment.

Longbottom was quickly making himself a target for the invaders and detrimental elements of their school. His blood purity meant little when he would stand so defiantly.

Luna's- Lovegood's- father published too much truth in that rag of his that usually spoke of conspiracies, but now had far more value than the Prophet. Not that it was a high bar to pass. Undesirable Number One. For the murder of Albus Dumbledore. Dragonshite. Every Slytherin knew that Nott did it. He bragged enough. Surely the rest of the school knew too. And if every student at Hogwarts knew it, every member of the magical community did, unless they were wilfully ignorant or just that stupid.

The Creevey boys hadn't returned, like no other muggleborns had either. He didn't know if they were hiding, or attempting to live the muggle lives they would have had without Hogwarts. He didn't know if anyone had visited and confiscated wands. They were so… innocent, especially Dennis. Except they weren't really, and would be less so now.

Bones couldn't come. Riddle had personally murdered her entire family. Draco didn't know where she was either, but he was pretty sure that Abbott did. Draco wouldn't know what to say to her, but he wished she was around.

He couldn't talk to the ones who were around any more than the ones who weren't. And yet, when he encountered Longbottom looking like he'd lost a fight with a troll, he pulled him into an empty classroom. Why were there so many empty classrooms?

"What happened? I mean- why didn't you go to the hospital wing?" he said. Because at this point, the second question was more important.

"Not allowed," Longbottom shrugged. "And it wasn't all at once. Few punches, cutting spell, a simple trip jinx and the floor did a bunch of it." Unconcerned.

"I've read up on healing spells," Draco said. "You should consider it. I- don't have practical experience but…" he trailed off, wand twitching in his fingers.

Neville's wide smile showed a widely crooked upper tooth, and the others not overly straight, but it wasn't disfiguring. But there was a simple fix that most wizards would have had done years ago. "I appreciate the offer, but probably wouldn't go well for me next time I'm in trouble- which will be shortly. Besides, I've been told that if anything scars, it will just add to my _ruggedly good looks_."

"Spending much time with Abbott then?" Draco asked back. Almost teasing.

"What? We're not- how did you know it was Hannah?" the other boy asked, actually surprised. Dense boy.

"Because it didn't sound like a Lovegood compliment," Draco remarked.

"What?" Longbottom shot back.

"Just try to keep your face in one piece. No one wants to be a Mad-Eye Moody." The boy had an eye-catching quality to him these days. Goodness and bravery. Maybe it would give the other boy something to think about that wasn't so depressing. Strange to think that this was the round-faced boy who sat on that stool with the sorting hat for so long that Draco actually wondered if he could get sent home without a sorting. Granger had taken a while too. All of it wouldn't have been so bothersome if he hadn't been nervous over his own sorting. Draco wasn't sure which of them had changed more in the last six years. Probably Draco.

"I would be pretty proud to grow up to be Alastor Moody," Neville said, after too long of silence. The man had died that summer. Draco had never met the real man, he reminded himself. Neville wouldn't have either. But he'd been important to Dora.

"Yeah, well, Abbott or Lovegood might want you to do it with your nose and limbs intact, if possible."

Yeah, he could still make an exit.

 **A/N: Encouragement please?**


	27. Caught

Chapter 27- Caught

*****Draco*****

Muggle Studies with Alecto Carrow was the worst class imaginable, because… it seemed like a normal class. Dark Arts was terrible too, but at least… it wasn't hiding its horror. Pretending to practice and fail at the Cruciatus Curse… occasionally screaming in agony when his partner for the moment succeeded… wondering if he could actually practice the Imperious Curse and what his own thoughts were on its morality. Surely it mattered who you targeted and what you made them do? But thus far they hadn't covered that.

Perhaps Dark Arts was worse, but Muggle Studies made him feel sicker.

Thinking that in a different life he would have easily believed all of it. It focused on the evil past and present of muggles. Witch burnings, hunting animals- magical and not- to extinction to the best of their abilities, extermination of humans who looked different- unusual hair and eyes, albinos, indigenous peoples from every region. Wars with massive effects, instruments of torture… and Draco suspected that much of it was true.

But that wasn't all of it, all that muggles were.

That didn't encompass watching football and cricket on the telly with Uncle Ted. Ted using the telephone to talk to his relatives. Free schooling available for all children. Draco didn't really know what poor muggle families did, if both parents had jobs. He's never asked. Muggles had whole systems for it. And they had films, television shows, art, music. Computers, which Draco had little understanding of, because Uncle Ted didn't have one, but he had been considering it two summers ago. Before the world was mad. 1998 was supposed to be a great year for sports. The football World Cup in the summer- Ted bemoaned that England and Scotland were different teams, or they'd be amazing. And the Olympics in February- the Winter Olympics, which didn't sound as good as the Summer Olympics (which Draco had watched bits of in his first summer with the Tonkses, but he had been… less invested at that time, more on his own), but Draco hoped that Uncle Ted would get to watch. Draco had been fascinated by the idea of such a grand scale international cooperation. There were special previsions for peace, and countries that hated each other met amicably for sport. It wasn't perfect- some had been cancelled for wars, and some had been boycotted by certain countries, but it was a system that largely worked.

The Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament was the most wizarding international interaction that Draco had seen, and the Triwizard Tournament should hardly count with what a disaster that was. And the World Cup was only two countries in any given match, though attendees _could_ come from anywhere. Draco had been to the finals match of the 1990 Quidditch World Cup with his father… which probably led to him being so open to football as a better thought out sport. A five day match where the Scottish team he had intended to cheer for over the Canadians was losing miserably for all of it… had not made a ten year old Draco Malfoy happy.

According to Carrow in one class period, muggles were a serious threat with numerous, creative methods of death (as if wizards didn't have just as many), and the next, they were idiots, dangerous only by their vast numbers, and the next, they were so incompetent that they needed civilized wizarding guidance.

And Draco could imagine himself believing every one of those narratives.

As if a small number of wizards couldn't destroy muggle existence.

As if wizarding society didn't use muggle goods- food, fabric, metals, and other things more often than Draco probably knew.

As if the Death Eaters weren't the reason that Uncle Ted had had to flee his home. Draco hoped that Ted was safe and relatively happy hiding in the muggle world. He didn't know if that was possible. He hoped that they could be together by summer and watch the football together.

Draco had to write an essay on the incredibly vague topic of how the muggle world would be better under wizarding rule. He wondered what had happened to the last teacher. Burbage, largely pureblood herself, but along the vein of Arthur Weasley. Thought odd in even the nicer circles for teaching the subject. Best case, she had fled like Uncle Ted. How long could the Weasley family be even relatively safe?

*****Draco*****

 _This_ was where the world made sense. When he was kissing his girlfriend. _Snogging_. His fiancé whom he actually loved and was going to marry. And it didn't even feel like too soon. When was it going to happen? No one was telling them when to have the wedding, because the world was in shambles, and he couldn't contact his mother, wasn't sure if he _wanted_ to contact his father- maybe not his mother either- and Ginny's parents were definitely being monitored by the Ministry and trying to pretend that one of their other children wasn't on a mad quest with Potter.

But when he closed his eyes, the world made sense. When he only had to wonder where was okay to put his hands.

"Hey," Ginny whispered. She was beautiful. He wished he was really spending his nights with her, instead of alone in secluded classrooms under the monitoring of Dobby or a house elf he trusted. Most recently, the elf was wearing typical Hogwarts house elf uniform, the only eccentricity being the Slytherin hat that had once been Draco's, with the ear holes cut into it. Draco hoped that half-conformity was a personal choice, and not any Death Eater attention. It seemed unlikely that they saw or noticed any house elves. Maybe the strange little elf was fitting in better- which Draco also wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. And why the hell was he thinking about house elves when Ginny was looking at him?

"Yeah?" Draco asked back.

"You okay?" she checked.

No. Of course he wasn't.

"Right now I am," he said instead.

"So… if I was going to do something that you might think is dangerous and stupid, but I think is necessary and not that dangerous… do you want to know about it?" she asked.

Draco leaned his forehead against hers, eyes closed. _Gryffindor, Weasley witch_. "Are you going to do it regardless?" he asked.

"Yes. Sorry," she added.

"Tell me about it, then." He promised himself that no matter what this plan was, they would go back to snogging after he heard it. He needed that.

*****Draco*****

Ginny thought she was good at making plans. Draco didn't think she had much to compare herself to. Not that he had any more. As far as he could tell, the Gryffindor trio and those they brought along, didn't typically make plans. Which didn't make him feel good for whatever mission they were on now. The Order certainly didn't make adequate plans, as Draco saw the past summer. And, apparently, it had been the second time Order members took Potter from his muggle relatives by broom, and another time the Weasley twins and Weasley took him in a damned flying car- which Potter and Weasley used a month later to get themselves to school. The whole lot of them reused bad plans all the time.

Ginny's plan had Draco as the distraction. Not being seen with them if it were to go wrong, complete deniability of involvement. Ginny wouldn't agree to not being directly involved herself, but Draco wouldn't have expected any different.

They'd already gotten the password to the room, assuming it hadn't changed from the day before.

Abbott was off convincing Peeves to cause havoc, which was distraction plan B or possibly C. Or maybe there were two A's. But all of those distractions relied on someone else giving the information to Snape, because Abbott doing it was hardly likely. Still, it was probably the best part of the plan, and it almost hadn't happened. Abbott was a step removed, perhaps, like Draco. Not that Draco wanted to be inner circle. He would just prefer if Ginny wasn't either.

"Sir, can I talk to you for a moment, privately?" Draco asked, after locating the man in the dungeons. Snape wasn't Slytherin Head, and he wasn't teaching potions, and he didn't even have an office there anymore, but he was often found walking the dungeons nonetheless. Draco had sent the message on his coin. Different coin than the new iteration of 'Dumbledore's Army' used. It didn't say anything, just a blank message, but they would know it was sent.

"I suppose. If you follow me to my office," the man said, talking off at a brisk walk.

Of course Draco had anticipated that as a possibility. It was one of the things that made the plan stupid. But he also couldn't just watch the man walking the halls for an unknown amount of time, and there were too many ways to leave the dungeons if a person knew them all, even though students usually used the same one.

"Perhaps, your old office?" Draco suggested. It was empty, because it had been Snape's the year before when Slughorn had his own, and the Carrows had chosen elsewhere. Not all former Slytherins like the cold, windowless dungeons. "I- don't really want to be seen walking to the Headmaster's office for a… personal matter. I… was curious about my mother," he said. It wasn't a lie, none of it was exactly.

He wouldn't lie to a master legilimens.

Severus Snape stared at him for all of three seconds.

"Your mother is in good health," he said. "If you have any specific questions, you may follow me to my office," he said.

"No, that's enough, thank you," Draco said. Damn it, damn it, _damn it_. Following him would do no good, just look more suspicious and give him no time to message the others. But Abbott didn't really have time… her distraction was supposed to cover them leaving the office area and getting to the tunnel entrance…

 _Shit_.

*****Ginny*****

Observation plan A must not have worked. Diversion plan A-C definitely did not work. Though, really, if A hadn't worked at all, B and C never had good odds.

"Sit _down_ ," Snape commanded. "All of you."

There were only two chairs on the opposite side of the couch, but Luna sat on the floor before it was an issue. Ginny and Neville took the chairs.

"Miss Lovegood, are you incapable of conjuring a chair for yourself?" Snape drawled. Ginny wasn't sure she could conjure something she would be willing to sit on herself, at least in front of Snape.

"You have very nice carpet," Lovegood said instead. Much better than in the Ravenclaw dormitories. Or the Gryffindor ones," she added. That was admitting to breaking a rule, wasn't it?

Snape looked like he wanted to murder all of them.

And then he turned all of that right onto Ginny.

"You were not here, got that? You will leave right now, and you had best hope that you are not seen by anyone who would care. And if you are, you will say that you caught perpetrators sneaking into my office for a reason you know nothing about, and that they are being dealt with privately. And Mr. Malfoy certainly had no hand in any _diversion_ plan, and you will do nothing to endanger his life or your own. And you can be assured that this is not for your sake!"

At least Hannah hadn't been caught.

"The gargoyles let you in," Neville said, entirely nonsensically.

"I am the headmaster. They shouldn't have let _you_ in, Longbottom," Snape spat. He could have said far worse things.

They'd used extendable ears and disillusionment charms, and caught the password from when one of the Carrows entered the office. The only part of the plan that had gone well. What Ginny wouldn't give for an invisibility cloak and a Marauder's Map. She had been intending to ask about the map… those three clearly didn't need it. But it was one of the few things Harry had from his father, and Ginny probably wasn't even supposed to know about it… so she'd put it off. She hadn't anticipated the abrupt end at the wedding.

Ginny, Neville, and Luna had only just found the sword when it was already over. Stored in a well-locked cabinet instead of on the desk.

They should have left as soon as they'd gotten Draco's second message, but they'd already found it, and what if he moved it off the grounds entirely after this?

Neville was still on his previous thoughts. "They sealed themselves when Umbridge was Headmistress, and she was chosen by a more official force than you were… at least allegedly. Unless you were chosen by someone else too. Also, the staircases change more often when one of the Carrows or visiting Death Eater are on them," Neville said. Because he had no fear. The boy who the whole school had known had Snape as his boggart in his third year.

"Longbottom, I had no idea that I would ever _wish_ for you to return to as you were as a first year, rather than this adolescent so _incapable_ of staying out of trouble," Snape complained. It was… strangely human.

"So, Ginny wasn't part of it. What happens to Luna and I? I can take the blame all by myself," Neville claimed.

"You will not like your punishment, but I might make it lighter if you told me willingly what you were doing here."

"We were going to take the sword of Gryffindor," Neville started.

"Neville!" Ginny couldn't help herself. It wasn't any more incriminating, her reacting… she could have been acting. Except he's a master spy and legilimens, and Ginny knew two occlumency exercises that would definitely not do her any good.

"Professor Dumbledore left it to Harry in his will, and we believe that Harry needs it for something to do with the mission he's on. Or, he might need it at least," Neville said.

No. No.

"And you've told me this, Longbottom, because you think I'm 'safe,'" he said.

"Safe enough in this case," Neville answered.

"Are you certain about that? Most of the staff has known me since I was eleven, and every one of them knows that I am the Death Eater that I can assure you that I am. Foolish child."

"I trust the castle more than people," Neville said. "Including what you say now."

But the castle had to listen to the Headmaster, didn't it? Maybe Umbridge was the anomaly. Maybe Snape had been… appointed by Dumbledore in the event of his death… that didn't mean that Dumbledore was right to trust him. Or maybe the School Board was involved? Ginny still didn't know what those people did.

"If Miss Weasley weren't here, this would go worse for you."

"But, Miss Weasley _isn't_ here," Luna spoke up.

Neville started a poorly concealed coughing laugh.

"Weasley, out!" Snape snapped.

"Sir, you didn't answer when Neville asked what would happen to us," Luna said.

Another thing for Ginny to worry about.

"The Forbidden Forest, tomorrow night just after dark. Hagrid has been asking for help, and hopefully you two are of slightly more use than first years that some idiots might have chosen."

"Thank you, sir," Neville said.

"Weasley, leave," Snape said again, firmly rather than angrily.

Ginny stood and walked to the spiral staircase.

That was all proof now, wasn't it? That Snape was one of them? Not really. It only really proved that he cared about Draco which she already knew. And perhaps Snape wanted Neville to trust him- which could be a very powerful thing, given Neville's current recognition among the students who are the most trouble for the Death Eaters.

"Is the hall clear?" Ginny asked the wall. The gargoyle could hear, probably. It opened and no one caught her leaving, so it seemed good enough to her. Something unambiguously good. Though Ginny was almost jealous of their detentions.

*****Draco*****

"You don't have to worry about him, Abbott. He'll be fine."

Draco was thinking about the boy's last time in the Forbidden Forest, with Draco. Draco trying to act like he wasn't just as scared as Neville was. Of course he was scared. Left with just the near-squib and a dog who _looked_ intimidating, but would run from one of the Malfoy peacocks. He'd wanted the gameskeeper to decide he needed to keep an eye on Draco himself, not ditch Potter with him. Even if Draco had felt a bit safer. Completely unfoundedly, because Potter attracted trouble like no other being in the world.

Neville Longbottom wasn't that little boy anymore.

"I know," she said, head thrown back, eyes closed. It had to be difficult on her this year, her best friend gone. "But I should have been with them at least," she complained.

"My fault," Draco muttered.

"You talking to him never should have been the plan. He can read people's _minds_ ," Hannah brushed off. "And he's taught students for like as long as we've been alive."

No one was around, and they were speaking quietly, but Draco still knew he should leave soon. Even if Abbott would be the best of the little group to be seen with, that wasn't saying much.

Longbottom thinks it's handled," he murmured. Ginny had told him. That Longbottom had told Severus- Snape- everything, and expected him to fix it for the side of the 'Light'.

"What do you think?" she asked, turning full gaze and attention to him.

"I don't know," Draco said.

Hannah nodded, like she expected it.

"I just wish I was out there with them," she complained again.

Draco thought about teasing her about liking Longbottom, about wanting to be out there instead of Lovegood, but it wasn't his place. And it might give her courage to act before Lovegood did, which was none of his concern. He could almost joke that it was convenient for him that the woman Draco loved was incapable- under threat of horrible pain and other consequences- of kissing someone else. Not that he thought the joke would go over well- or that he thought Abbott _loved_ Longbottom. He almost thought that all of them were too young for love, but it didn't stop how he felt.

"Good night, Abbott."

"Good night."


	28. Communication

Chapter 28- Communication

*****Draco*****

Draco stared at the… he supposed she was still the Deputy Headmistress.

None of them saw Headmaster Snape outside of meals, and yet Professor McGonagall seemed in less of a leadership position than she had been in before.

Really, everyone intelligent in the castle was probably trying to be seen by everyone else as little as Draco was. He supposed the common rooms were havens for some people, but their security really wasn't that good.

It was bad enough that they had to suffer through all of those classes.

Draco hadn't desired any detention on top of that.

Even less often with entirely conjured up reasons for the aforementioned detention.

Vandalism allegedly traced to his wand.

It would probably temporarily increase his standings in his house.

If he even spoke to anyone before it was forgotten.

Draco wouldn't speak first to the professor either.

The Deputy Headmistress, because to make her otherwise would necessitate them finding a new Transfiguration teacher qualified and willing to come to Hogwarts, and admitting that everything at Hogwarts was not business as usual.

If no one talked about it, it didn't count.

The Ministry, St Mungo's, the Prophet.

"Do you have something you want to ask me?" she finally asked him. Gryffindor. "Anything you want to say?"

"No, professor. I'm sure you will tell me what my detention consists of when you are ready," he said.

"You aren't serving detention. Though, I'd wager you have broken enough school rules to deserve it by some accounts. Out of bed every night, are you?" she asked.

Draco was not going to answer that.

"You wouldn't like to hear the crass things I've heard about Miss Weasley," she said.

Which made him want to do something rash and Gryffindorish.

"They aren't true," he said. Because he didn't want someone Ginny respected to think anything… bad, tainted of her.

Even if he didn't think…

"As Miss Weasley is in my house, I'm well aware where she spends her nights, and that there are no male visitors in the female dormitories, and I believe that is a good policy that I make efforts to extend the purpose of past time and location," she said. He got it, this was apparently a lecture against teenage sex now. Despite him being already of age, and Ginny was by some standards- though those held to fourteen, which now felt terribly young- and despite betrothed, it being explicitly allowed in their demented contract, and their inevitable marriage when Ginny was hardly seventeen. In a half-normal world they would be deep into wedding planning already. "But, it is also none of their business, and anyone who says a word against Miss Weasley that I hear is reprimanded appropriately. And, it is a good excuse to give your housemates."

That was… Draco just nodded in response.

"If you hear of anything that it would be better to not deal with yourself, you can tell me," she said.

That was the reason then. The, 'I'm on your side, you can confide in me' speech. With the flavour of 'I can make everything better.' It was a sentiment that knew no ideological borders. Most commonly used in circles that couldn't offer anything more specifically concrete.

"Thank you, Professor," he answered.

"And that goes for other reasons as well. If you need someone to talk to. I know- that communicating with your aunt is difficult for a time, and that Horace- Professor Slughorn- has a lot on his mind at present," she said.

That was one way to say that the man was all but in hiding when not in class. No Slug Club meetings that year. No elaborate Christmas party plans in the works. Sometimes he didn't even come to dinners, and everyone knew the man loved to eat. Must have had house elves bring him food. Draco had asked Dobby to do so on occasion.

Draco nodded.

"And I know that your close relationship with Professor Snape might be strained?" she had a bit of a question to that statement.

"He's a busy man. I'm sure you see him more than most with your Deputy Headmistress duties," he said.

"He is a busy man," McGonagall said in non-answer.

Something more direct then.

"Then, perhaps you see him more in the course of your duties as leader of the Order of the Phoenix," he said.

The older witch just sighed.

"Miss Weasley says she trusts him. Do you share that trust?" she asked.

"When did you last talk to Ginny about such a dangerous topic?" he asked back.

"Over the summer," she said.

No one communicated, did they?

Somehow it was left to _him_ to be direct.

"He caught Ginny, Neville, and Luna trying to steal something from his office. He gave Neville and Luna detention with Hagrid, which I daresay both will enjoy, and he firmly told Ginny that she had in no way been involved- alluding that it was for my sake. Longbottom said that he trusted Professor Snape because the castle liked him, and told them they were trying to get Gryffindor's sword to Potter- because Professor Dumbledore left it to Potter in his will, possibly for some significant reason to their quest. Neville believes that the professor will handle it. He could have given them a far worse punishment. I think you should trust him when it really matters, but not compromise his position until then. And I think all students need to leave the castle for Christmas and not return. I have not yet convinced Ginny of this."

McGonagall sighed, "We have very rare meetings full of posturing, and I believe he is as scared as I am, though I also recognize that I don't know him nearly as well as I should for having shared the same school for most of his life. I am not a master Legilimens, so he knows far more about me than I do him, but I haven't made many of my opinions secret to the world. Some days I'm surprised to still be here, but I won't leave while there are any students who need me. Some of them have nowhere to go. I have- failed too many over the years, including Severus."

"Thank him by taking care of his students," he said. Hesitated. Gryffindors could care too little or too much. That likely wasn't something confined to house boundaries. Most things weren't, he'd been learning. "I don't believe Nott can be changed. He doesn't want to. And Crabbe and Goyle are far more dangerous than I ever knew. No student should be _good_ at casting the Cruciatus Curse. But you can look after the rest of them for him," he said. "And tell him that you care about him and want him to live through this," Draco added. Because wasn't that what all of them wanted to hear? That there was some way to get through? The first war lasted about a decade. It didn't feel like the wars they learned about in History of Magic. This didn't either. Just terror and trying to stay alive. No one communicating. Too much time wasted pretending everything was normal.

If Hogwarts wasn't safe, why were they still there?

"I can't… entirely give up on three seventeen year old boys," she said. "Albus… it's very difficult," she said.

Dumbledore was dead.

"Being a Slytherin feels like three quarters of the world giving up on you when you're eleven. May I leave, Professor?"

"Do you know- that I- care about you and want you to live through this, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked.

He did.

"Yes. Thank you, Professor."

"You shouldn't leave sooner than a reasonable length of detention, but you're welcome to any of the books on my shelves. Or an extra, personalized lesson, if you prefer? Transfiguration can be useful in absolutely any future profession and daily life."

"Yes, Professor."

*****Draco*****

"Hello, Draco," Astoria Greengrass greeted.

"I doubt it would serve you well to be seen with me," Draco said, hardly looking up. Had he said anything to _anyone_ that day yet? The library had become a haven. Only quiet conversation allowed. And it was his NEWT year, after all. If anyone still cared about that.

"My parents are in talks with Mrs. Zabini and her son," she said.

Draco coughed.

"You realize how many past husbands she's _definitely_ killed?" he hissed. Did she even bother changing her name anymore? Was her surname actually still Zabini?

"Seven. But killing me won't get _her_ any money, unless she kills my parents first, and then it would still be split, and _I_ don't even know what my parents' will says, and I am the _younger_ daughter, and at best could only go to her son. And we're not particularly murder-worthy-rich to begin with. It's more likely they end the talks, but they haven't yet," the younger girl said, entirely blasé over the matter. "What's Blaise like?" she asked.

"A vain, pompous arse," Draco supplied.

"Daphne told me about the same- though some people say similar things about _her_ , and I don't believe them. I suppose the situation _is_ less than ideal. But, at least he isn't indebted in commitment in other areas," she said, more directly than a Slytherin should.

Though, hadn't Draco been complaining about a lack of communication?

"He believes in the same cause, just has thus far been able to choose not to act on it," Draco said.

"The same could be said of you, couldn't it?" Astoria asked, but she was almost smiling.

"You would do better to hold your tongue," Draco murmured.

"If I marry a controlling pureblood man, I'll be doing that far too often," she said- finally quietly enough. "Though I hope to not have permanence written into _my_ contract. Far less murder that way, I think- though you and your betrothed do not seem ready to kill each other."

"We literally _couldn't_. It's against the contract under pain, suffering, and infertility. It's a matter of public record. No Weasley relative can harm me, and no Malfoy relative her. It's not specific how closely related this includes," he said. Which hopefully provided some protection to Ginny. To both of them, really. But not enough.

"Yes, well, good that you can make the best of it. At least Blaize isn't hard to look at, I suppose. Could be worse," she said. Blaize might actually share that sentiment. And she was pureblood and not a blood traitor. Astoria deserved better. Maybe when they were all older, she would get it.

*****Ginny*****

Ginny had never felt entirely safe at Hogwarts. How could she, given her first year? But, she hadn't felt safer anywhere else since then either.

So it was less of a shock to her than everyone else when Alecto Carrow arrived in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Mister Longbottom, you are late for detention!"

"I'm sorry, Professor, I thought that was last night," he said.

Ginny knew Lavender had been asking Neville to just stop going to class, and Seamus had stood next to her and nodded.

"You have another," the 'professor' responded.

"Well, by all means, lead the way," Neville Longbottom said cheerfully.

His face showed as many bruises as always lately.

"I don't think he'd even had detention assigned," Seamus murmured to her. Seamus had a split lip.

"Doesn't really matter, does it? Wasn't the point of that… show here."

"Yeah," Seamus muttered. "We got it."

Ginny wished she wasn't the only Weasley at Hogwarts.

"We'll make more plans," she said in a louder voice. "If the common room isn't safe, we'll find a place that is," she said. Entirely against her will, two places came to mind. She pushed away the second. "We'll be okay," she said firmly.

Most of Gryffindor was living in the Room of Requirement in the next two weeks, and some from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff as well. All of the DA that had come back, helped reform it. And younger students too.

Neville was especially good at getting what he wanted from the Room, but Ginny wasn't surprised by that anymore. Dobby and other house elves brought them anything they needed that the room couldn't provide.

They set aside study times in the Room, because at least half the students weren't going to most of their classes. But they wanted to learn more than ever. Ginny learned more names of students in a week than she had in five years. Most of them looking to her for guidance. She still went to all of her classes. Still saw Draco. Still pretended. And people left her alone. But, how long could that last?

*****Draco*****

Ginny was determined to see her family for Christmas, as was Luna and Abbott. Abbott would be fine going anywhere, suitably below notice. For the rest of them… taking the train like it was any ordinary year seemed like an unnecessary risk. They could stay hidden in the Room of Requirement indefinitely- which hadn't been a bad plan- or walk to the station pretending to get on the train, apparate as soon as across the Hogwarts grounds… or for those who couldn't apparate, they could try to hide anywhere else in Hogsmeade and take an unmonitored floo… somewhere. Never return. If that somewhere was safer than Hogwarts. Draco had everything he cared about shrunk and carried with him, but he didn't know where he was going. Nott thought he was going to Malfoy Manor. Which was a problem, because that would be the last place he would ever go until… the war was over.

He couldn't go with Ginny either. To the Weasley family who was still pretending that everything was okay, that the worst thing happening to their family was their youngest son with spattergroit- if that was still their cover. Draco had a half-formed plan to… do something discrete for the duration of the holiday, and then convince Ginny to run off with him after saying goodbye to her parents. To… France, maybe. His French was passable. Or further- America, Australia perhaps. He wished he had a better grasp on muggle transportation. _Aeroplanes_. He'd seen them in films on the telly. Aeroports were places for dramatic goodbyes and reunions. Probably they could ask directions to an aeroport and then figure out payment. He had plenty of gold in his bag. Or a minor confundus charm if really pushed.

They had a compartment alone again. Because the school had fewer students, and many were likely still hiding in the Room of Requirement. Ginny had been busy, but Draco had been freer. Nott was more wrapped in his Death Eater role. Acting as if he had the respect of those two or three times his age. Crabbe and Goyle established as his lackeys. Leaving Draco more time… mostly to study, and too much time to think.

Being around Ginny was the best, even if he didn't have any idea what his life was.

Ginny had mentioned that her brother, Potter, and Granger had a tent packed, and Hermione had all of their belongings shrunk and lightened in a handbag. It might have prompted him to do the same- with a manly and discrete money bag. He wished he had a tent.

He could momentarily stop thinking about any of it when he was snogging Ginny. Then his thoughts would turn to how private this compartment could be with a few spells.

Until the train slowed half an hour into the journey. The train hadn't stopped before except for the dementors at the beginning on his third year, so this didn't inspire confidence.

Draco pulled an exterior curtain open, and had a perfect view.

His father, Nott's father, Crabbe's father, and Bellatrix Lestrange. Not far in the distance, on a train stop connected to nothing. He didn't know who he wanted to see least.

Bellatrix. Who had attacked Dora and killed their cousin Sirius Black.

There wouldn't be any more pretending. No more silence and covering both sides.

"Ginny, we have to go," he said. He had never side-along apparated anyone before. But he could with Ginny. He knew her almost as well as himself, didn't he? Did that help? He grabbed Ginny in a tight hug. He took a few moments to shrink her bag and put it in his pocket with his before holding her again. He hoped she didn't leave anything in her trunk at Hogwarts that she cared much about, before he concentrated again, "Don't let go."

 **A/N: Sorry for my slow progress on this story. I just… haven't felt inspired here. I greatly regret beginning to post before being finished. It** _ **will**_ **be finished eventually. I have the last chapter written, and some pieces I'm excited about… just getting there can be difficult. I maybe hurried this semester a bit, because I have many more plans for after. I really hope people still enjoy this chapter. I really like the scenes I did have.**


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